


Lost in the Lights

by WheresMyNaya



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, American Football, F/F, QB!Britt, Quarterback Britt, brittana
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:47:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 124,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27552562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WheresMyNaya/pseuds/WheresMyNaya
Summary: Brittany S. Pierce is new to WMHS and quickly finds that the students there aren't as open-minded as the ones she's used to, especially when she takes over as the Titans' starting quarterback. Many heads are turned including Cheerios Co-Captain Santana Lopez who has some obstacles of her own to tackle.
Relationships: Santana Lopez/Brittany S. Pierce
Comments: 149
Kudos: 244





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Kind of inspired by the song Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince

Once Brittany taped up the last box and set it aside for the movers to take, she took the rare moment she had alone and reminisced. She knew this day was bound to come. Since her father’s passing earlier in the year, Brittany’s mother – Whitney – had begun making the arrangements to move closer to Brittany’s grandparents in Ohio. Aside from a handful of friends, they didn’t really have anyone else close by and with Brittany’s little brother – Pete – still too young to stay home alone and Brittany busy with school, Whitney needed the extra help.

The move made sense, but Brittany dreaded it in silence. She was going into her Senior year and being the new kid at school wasn’t how she planned on spending it. She kept her feelings in check though as she boxed up her whole life and said goodbye.

Brittany didn’t want to make things harder by digging in her heels, so she put on a brave face for the sake of her family and finished her Junior year without making any complaints. Instead, Brittany did everything she could to help make the transition a little easier.

With a light knock on Brittany’s door, Whitney made her presence known.

“You ready to go, Britt?” Whitney asked gently.

Brittany could feel her throat tightening. Was she ready? The answer was obvious and deep down, Whitney knew that. She closed the distance and gave her daughter a hug.

“I’m sorry, kiddo,” Whitney whispered.

Brittany just nodded and held on tighter.

\\\

It had been a long drive and it seemed like everything started to look a little greener the further they got from the coast. Even the trees changed from the bushy palms Brittany grew up with to tall oaks, but after what felt like a million hours the Pierce Family finally made it to their destination.

“It’s a good looking house, right kids?” Whitney asked cheerfully as the family stretched their achy limbs in front of their new home.

It wasn’t anything special, just a typical three bedroom, two bath. The siding was white, the shutters were blue and the wooden fence looked relatively knew. At a quick glance, the house looked like any other on the block. Brittany didn’t have any complaints though and when she glanced down at Pete, neither did he.

“It’s cute,” Brittany agreed with a smile then nudged her brother, “What do you think, Petey?”

“I like the windows,” Pete pointed up at the shutters, “Blue’s my favorite color.”

“Mine too,” Brittany winked.

“Well, go pick your rooms,” Whitney instructed.

She didn’t get a chance to tell them that they were the exact same size, one just faces the backyard and the other faces the front. The two took off towards the house giggling the whole way while Whitney just shook her head and trailed after them.

\\\

It took them a couple weeks to settle into their new place with the help of Brittany’s grandparents, but it was finally starting to feel like home even if she felt like something was missing.

Or rather, someone.

Some nights she could hear the soft whimpers coming from her mother’s room and some nights Petey makes his way into Brittany’s bed because the dreams keep him up at night. Everyone misses him and that makes the transition a little harder. The nights are usually hard for everyone, but they manage to get by together.

It’s better during the day when it’s light out and there’s less time to overthink things. An Ohio summer has nothing on a Florida one, but Brittany doesn’t complain about that either. She can catch a tan wherever the sun shines, so she does just that.

She and Pete find a park within walking distance of their house and visit often while Whitney is out job hunting. Most days, Pete has more energy than Brittany can keep up with so the park really comes in handy. On the rare occasion, Pete sometimes would rather sit with Brittany on a blanket under one of the big trees there and color.

Sometimes, Brittany joins him because as Pete would say, “You’re never too old for coloring.”

\\\

One day while they’re at the park, Brittany spots a couple of guys that look to be around her age. They’re a little ways away, tossing a football back and forth. She can just barely hear their voices, but they’re muffled and mix with the sound of her music playing from her phone.

“How’s this look, Britt?” Pete asks as he holds up his coloring book.

Brittany nods, “Excellent color choice for the hair.”

“I thought so too,” Pete grins and goes back to his scribbling while Brittany lazily flips through the latest issue of _Sports Illustrated_.

She switches from reading articles to watching the guys play. She notes their form and posture and she can’t help but critique them. Their throws are pretty average, but they aren’t too bad and she goes back to reading.

“Watch out!” Brittany hears one of the guys yell. She braces herself and holds out a protective arm over Pete’s head. Soon a football bounces down just a couple feet away from her blanket and rolls to a wobbly stop beside her.

“Way to go, Sam! You almost hit them,” The lean guy yells back to the shaggy-haired blonde.

“I thought you had that!”

“It was overthrown! Do you think I’m seven feet tall?”

“You could’ve jumped.”

“This is why you’re third string when we don’t even have a second.”

“Whatever Mike, I’m just having an off day,” The blonde grumbles as he trails his friend.

“You always say that,” Mike shakes his head and starts to jog over to Brittany and Pete, “Sorry about that!”

“That’s alright,” Brittany smiles as she reaches for the ball and pushes to stand. The leather feels familiar in her hands and it’s just now that she realizes she hasn’t picked up a ball in so long. Her fingers automatically slide into position between the laces though like they’re magnets being drawn together.

Brittany sets her eyes on Mike and draws her arm back to throw a perfect spiral.

The pass connects with the intended target – obviously – but the looks on both of the guys’ faces is priceless. Brittany smiles proudly as they whoop and holler. She didn’t realize she kind of misses that.

“Show off,” Pete teases though he matches her proud smile.

“That was an awesome throw!” Mike applauds as he rushes over, “Like Woah! Sorry, I’m Mike. That’s my friend, Sam.”

Sam’s still a little ways away but he waves as he jogs over, his blonde shaggy hair bouncing with every step. He kind of reminds Brittany of a golden retriever, eager and a little dorky.

“I’m Brittany,” Brittany greets and pats Pete’s head, “This is my brother, Pete. We just moved here.”

“Oh, I think we’re neighbors!” Mike grins, “The house with the blue shutters?”

“Yeah, that’s us.”

Sam finally joins the group, “Great throw! Can you do that again?”

Brittany shrugs casually, “Yeah. Probably.”

Mike and Sam drop their jaws in disbelief.

“My sister’s a quarterback,” Pete informs them, “She’s the best at school.”

“I was the best at our _old_ school,” Brittany corrects and ruffles up his blonde hair.

“ _You_ were a,” Sam blinks, “I’ve never met a _girl_ quarterback.”

Brittany tries to keep from gritting her teeth at the way he says _girl_. She knows he didn’t mean any disrespect, but it still makes her skin crawl. She forgets that some places aren’t as progressive as her old school, so she keeps the polite smile on her face.

“You have to try out,” Sam insists, “You’re better than half of those guys and no girl has ever tried out before. It would be so cool!”

“You saw me throw one time,” Brittany chuckles.

“Exactly, that’s how much we suck!”

“Hey!” Mike shakes his head and gives Brittany an encouraging smile, “You’d be great on the team.”

Mike seems genuine enough, they both do, but Brittany’s unsure of how she’ll be received here. She’s already going to be the new kid in school, she didn’t really want to add on to that by being the first girl to try out for the team.

“I don’t know,” Brittany looks unsure and glances down at Pete, “I wasn’t planning on playing this year.”

“You’ve got to,” Mike adds, “You have a killer arm.”

“Would totally bench Hudson,” Sam jokes with Mike.

Mike nods, “Without a doubt.”

“Is Hudson your current QB?” Brittany wonders.

“Yeah, for three years and we haven’t made a single playoffs appearance,” Sam answers with the shake of his head.

“Sam was going to try and play him for the starting position,” Mike explains, “Clearly he needs some work though.”

Sam scoffs and punches at Mike’s shoulder.

“Clearly,” Brittany chuckled. She liked these guys. They were kind of dorks but harmless and they seemed friendly.

“Well, we don’t want to pressure you if you don’t want to play,” Mike says a little more seriously, “But if you change your mind, try-outs are next Tuesday at William McKinley High at noon. See Coach Beiste.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Brittany replies, “Thanks.”

“Cool. Well, how about one more for the road?” Mike suggests and holds out the ball to Brittany.

Brittany was happy to oblige and slaps her palm against the leather, “Go long.”

The guys took off running, playfully shoving at each other as Brittany took her stance and got into position. She let them get a few more yards further before drawing back and letting the ball fly.

Again, it was a perfect throw.

When Sam caught it this time, Mike cheered while Sam did a celebratory dance. It wasn’t the smoothest thing Brittany had ever seen, but it was the funniest and it had her and Pete laughing harder than they had in awhile.

\\\

That night at the dinner table with Whitney, Pete talked animatedly about his and Brittany’s day. Brittany always loved how excited he got about the smallest things and he always told stories with so much detail. They were worried that it would fade with their dad’s passing but Pete was still so full of love and light.

“We made friends at the park today too!” Pete said which piqued Whitney’s interest.

“Oh really?” Whitney smiled and looked to Brittany, “Making friends already?”

“I wouldn’t call them that,” Brittany chuckled as she picked mindlessly at her plate, “A couple guys from the high school here were playing catch. Apparently one of them is our neighbor too.”

“Mike!” Pete clarified.

“Yeah, Mike and Sam. They tried talking me into trying out for the football team,” Brittany explained, “I don’t think I’m going to play this year though.”

“What? Why not?” Whitney asked worriedly, “You’ve played every year since middle school.”

“I know, but I want to be able to help out here if you need me to,” Brittany reasons and glances over at Pete, “I don’t want to get stuck with football like I always do.”

“You love it, Britt, and you’re good at it,” Whitney tells her, “You should try out.”

“What about Pete?” Brittany questions, “No one will be home when he finishes school.”

“Gran will pick him up,” Whitney suggests easily.

“But – “

“No buts,” Whitney gives her a stern look, “It’s your Senior year and you love the game. If you want to play, you should. Isn’t that what your dad always said?”

Brittany feels something clench in the pit of her stomach and she isn’t sure if it’s a good feeling or a bad one. She can still hear her dad’s voice gently guiding her and maybe that’s what helps her decide this time too.

“Okay yeah, I’ll try out,” Brittany announces and it’s the first time she finally feels like herself again since moving to Ohio.

\\\

It’s a muggy Summer’s day when Brittany arrives at her new school for try-outs. She can already feel all eyes on her as she walks through the gate and joins the others on the field. She spots Mike and Sam with a few others and they wave at her while the others give her curious looks. Brittany gives them a nod but stays focused. It feels like it’s a hundred degrees there, but she’s use to the heat after growing up in Florida. She stands tall with her chin held high as she makes her way over to the Coach.

She’s pleasantly surprised when she finds that the Coach is also a woman.

“Coach Beiste?”

“Cheerios try-outs are held in the gym,” The woman tells her without a second glance.

Brittany bites her lip and tries to shake the nerves, “I’m not here for a cereal ad, Coach. I want to try-out for the team.”

The woman pauses and eyes Brittany curiously as she says, “This is _football_ try-outs.”

“I know,” Brittany nods resolutely, “I’ve played before.”

“Position?”

“Quarterback.”

Coach looks impressed, “What string?”

Brittany smirks, “I was the starter.”

The woman blinks and it’s similar to the look Sam gave her.

“What’s your name, kid?”

“Brittany. Brittany S. Pierce.”

“You just move here or something?” Beiste asks as she jots down Brittany’s name on the clipboard, “I haven’t seen you around.”

“Yes,” Brittany nods, “I just moved here from Florida.”

“Alright. Well, you won’t get any special treatment on my field,” Beiste tells her sternly, “You’ll run the drills, same as everyone else and I’ll see how you go. You throw up, it’s an automatic out.”

“Of course,” Brittany grins, “I don’t want it any other way.”

\\\

It’s no surprise to Brittany when she aces try-outs. She’s always been pretty athletic and she starts every morning with a run so she’s in tip-top shape and breezes through the drills. Even the team’s resident quarterback – Finn Hudson – struggles to keep up with the others. Brittany notes how uncoordinated his movements are and starts to understand why the team hasn’t made a playoff appearance.

Finn’s saving grace though is that he has a pretty good arm, but Brittany is confident that hers is better. Actually, she knows it is. If they’re going to compare stats, Brittany has him beat in every category but she lets her talent speak for itself. No one likes a cocky new kid on the block.

“You’re promising, Pierce,” Coach Beiste tells her after the third day of try-outs, “Between you and me, you can run circles around Hudson and I have no doubt you can outshine him.”

“I appreciate that, Coach.”

“But, he’s been our starter for nearly three years now. He’s got the team’s respect and trust,” Coach Beiste reasons.

Brittany nods. She hates how she has to start from scratch here. At her old school, she didn’t have to prove anything to anyone, they just knew she was talented because they grew up with her. Here, they don’t know anything about her and that puts her at a real disadvantage.

“You can’t just come in like a bat outta hell and snatch it from him,” Coach continues, “You’re going to have to play for it; prove yourself to me and the team that you can do a better job. You’ve got to really earn this.”

Brittany saw that coming too so she nods, “I understand.”

“I took a look at your record. I hope you don’t mind,” Coach Beiste says, “It’s very impressive, Pierce. I haven’t seen talent like yours in awhile around here. I almost forgot what it was like to see stats like yours.”

“Thank you. I’ve been playing for a long time.”

“I can tell, so this is what I’m going to do. There’s a pre-season game coming up,” Beiste tells her, “I want to put you in, see what you can do. If I like what I see, you might just be able to nudge Hudson out. There are a lot of Seniors on this team, I know they’d love to see the Championships and I think you can get them there.”

“I know I can,” Brittany says without a second thought.

Coach pats her hard on the shoulder pad, “That’s what I like to hear. Go get cleaned up.”

\\\

While Brittany gets packed up a little while later, she feels someone standing close by. She waits for some off-handed comment – she’s heard a few of the guys mumble them under their breath – but it never comes. She figures it’s either Mike or Sam but when she turns, it’s neither of them.

“Hi,” The guy greets. His voice is meek, almost angelic and it takes Brittany by surprise.

“Hi,” Brittany smiles back though as she stands.

“I’m Kurt,” He says and does a showy kick, “I’m the kicker.”

Brittany notes his small stature compared to the other guys. There’s not an ounce of muscle on him it looks like, typical for someone on special teams.

“I’m Brittany,” She replies, “Not sure what I am just yet.”

“I hope you’re going to be our knew QB,” Kurt grins and takes a seat next to Brittany’s duffle as she continues packing up, “I’m rooting for you. I know there are a few others that are too, they just don’t want you to know about it. I don’t really understand the point, we all want to win.”

“Thanks.”

“Sure,” Kurt nods and starts to admire Brittany’s keychain, “Oh! We play for the same team.” 

“Obviously or this would be pretty embarrassing,” Brittany says with a straight face.

“No, I meant – “

Brittany grins slyly as she watches his face turn red. She glances down at her rainbow unicorn keychain in his hand and meets his gaze, “I know what you meant.”

Kurt laughs it off awkwardly and tries to recover, “It’s nice to finally have someone to talk to on the team.”

Brittany can hear just a hint of sadness in his tone and looks up, “They don’t talk to you?”

“They do, but it’s not the same. We don’t have much in common. All they want to talk about are video games and _hot chicks,_ ” Kurt scrunches his nose like there’s a bad taste in his mouth but then he looks at Brittany and relaxes, “Then again, you might be able to relate with that last one.”

Brittany chuckles as she reties up her hair, “You think so?”

Kurt eyes her and nods to the keychain again, “I don’t know many female quarterbacks that are straight. Actually, I don’t know any female quarterbacks.” Kurt ponders for a moment then looks to Brittany apologetically, “I’m sorry, that was intrusive. I apologize.”

Brittany gives him a pat on the knee as she stands. She pulls up her heavy duffle and adjusts the strap on her shoulder, “You’re not wrong, but I’m here to play football. Not drool over girls, no matter how pretty they are.”

Kurt smiles, “Good to hear. It would be nice to win for a change.”

“I’ll do my best,” Brittany tells him, “I’ll see you at practice.”

\\\

Whitney and Pete are in the stands along with Brittany’s grandparents on the day of the game against Crawford County Day. Brittany’s been sitting on the bench for a whole quarter and her knees are bouncing at the opportunity to get on the field.

She watches her team in action and it’s almost embarrassing how ununified they are. It’s like no one’s taking charge – no one’s leading – and it hurts to watch.

“Blitz! Blitz!” Coach yells, “Watch the blitz!”

Brittany can see it coming, but Finn doesn’t change plays.

The ball is hiked and Finn hands it off to their Running Back – Noah Puckerman – but the defense slips through from all sides. Puckerman is swallowed up in an instant.

It’s a loss of three yards, third down.

Brittany glances over at Coach and her face is beet red.

The next play is even worse. It’s meant to be a simple slant pass, but the lack of communication between Finn and the receivers – Mike and Sam – has everyone on different pages. When Finn drops back, no one is open and the pocket collapses in on him for a sack.

Brittany cringes at the hard hit and shakes her head.

“Damn it, Hudson!” Coach snaps and throws her hat on the ground.

The Titans finish the half down by 13 points.

\\\

It’s the longest twenty-minute halftime Brittany has ever endured. Coach just tears into the team for being so sloppy. Apparently Crawford County Day is meant to be one of the easiest teams on their roster so the fact that the Titans are behind already isn’t really a good sign.

“Good thing this is just a scrimmage!” Beiste yells, “I’ve never seen so many poorly executed plays in my entire career. What the hell was that out there?”

“They’ve gotten better, Coach.”

Brittany presses her lips tight together to keep from laughing at Finn’s excuse.

“I am captain of the U.S.S. Kick Ass, not the U.S.S. Back Talk,” Beiste said pointedly and looked at Brittany, “Pierce, your starting.”

“Wait, Coach!” Finn argued, “You can’t start _her_ , she’s…she’s –“

Brittany arched her brow at him, waiting for a lame insult to come tumbling out.

“She’s gunning for your job, Hudson,” Beiste cut in.

“You can’t be serious!” Finn crossed his arms, “We don’t even know if she can play.”

“You just keep your eyes on me then,” Brittany smirked as she pulled on her helmet, “I’ll show you how it’s done.”

“Woah!” Sam cheered and high fived Mike.

“Shut up,” Puck shoved at them both, “Have some respect.”

“You’re one to talk,” Kurt replied meekly.

Puck rounded on him, “What was that, Hummel?”

Kurt just lifted a dainty hand and admired his nails quietly.

Brittany just smirked. Maybe she didn’t have the entire team on her side yet, but she liked her odds so far.

\\\

At first, things were a little rocky. It seemed that the offense wasn’t use to someone taking charge – they weren’t use to _her_ taking charge – but Brittany kept at it and it started to pay off.

Once she got into her groove, she could read the defense so easily and adjust accordingly. She’d hear the grunts of disbelief whenever she’d call an audible, but by the last quarter she felt like she had finally made ground and gained some of the team’s trust.

Because by the last quarter, the Titans were up by 3 points.

She could play it safe with just seconds to go, but this was just a scrimmage and she wanted to make a lasting impression. She didn’t just want to win with a field goal attempt, she was confident that she could put more points on the board before the final.

Brittany straightened up and motioned for a timeout. The ref blew the whistle and Brittany gathered the team for a huddle. She took out her mouthguard and looked around at her teammates.

“I want to try Blue 80,” Brittany tells them.

“You’re ballsy, Pierce!” Matt Rutherford – the Tight End – said but it came out as a compliment.

Mike and Sam looked between each other before Mike spoke up, “We’ve never made a completion with this play.”

“Guess we should change that,” Brittany shrugged.

“You really want to blow the lead?” Dave Karofsky – the Right Guard – mocked.

“It’s the last play of the game,” Sam defended, “The worse that could happen is it gets intercepted and they run it all the way –“

“Shut up, Evans!” Azimio – the Left Guard – snapped, “Don’t jinx us.” 

“It’s all or nothing,” Brittany reasoned, “Scared QBs don’t make plays and I think we can put more points on the board. You with me?”

She held out her gloved fist and waited for the other’s to join her.

Puck was the first to hold out his fist, “You pull this off, Pierce, and I’ll tell Finn _myself_ that you’re the better QB.”

“You’re on,” Brittany smirked and watched as the rest of the team joined her, “Titans on three. One…two…three!”

“Titans!” They yelled out in unison. Brittany was impressed, she was already making them a more cohesive team.

\\\

Everyone got into their positions, what looked to be a simple running play. The defense fell right for it and adjusted accordingly. When the ball was snapped, Brittany faked the hand off to Puck and swiftly dropped back, watching as the other team went after him instead of realizing she still had the ball in her possession.

Meanwhile, Mike and Sam broke away from their defenders and jetted up the field. Both were wide open, but Mike crossed into the endzone just before Sam did. While the pocket still held, Brittany made her decision and let the ball fly before it could collapse in on her.

She hoped and wished and prayed to anyone who was listening that Mike would catch this thing. So much was riding on this; the team’s trust, their respect, solidifying her position as the new quarterback. Mike _needed_ to catch this.

The relief she felt when he did was unmatched!

The crowd roared and Brittany’s chest swelled with pride. She glanced up at the sky and smiled, her dad would’ve loved that play.

Soon she was swarmed by her new team and they hoisted her up on their shoulders as they chanted her name, “Pierce! Pierce! Pierce!”

“Hate to say it, bro,” Puck said as they carried Brittany off to the sideline where Finn was close to throwing a tantrum, “But the girl’s got mad skill. She’s got my vote.”

“Who cares about a vote. That’s not how we do things,” Finn scoffs, “It’s up to Coach.”

“Easy, Hudson, you could learn a lot from her. Kid’s on fire,” Coach Beiste smiled proudly and patted Brittany on her helmet, “You got the job, Pierce. Titans, your new quarterback.”

“Thanks, Coach!” Brittany grinned while most of the team cheered.

\\\

After the game once everyone had changed out of their uniforms, Brittany was surprised to see Puck approach her with an interesting offer.

“Yo Pierce! Wait up,” He called after her.

“Hey,” Brittany nodded.

“I’m throwing a party this weekend before school starts up again,” He says, “I wasn’t going to invite you because didn’t know if you were cool yet.”

Brittany gives him an unbelieving look but it goes over his head.

“The whole team’s going and considering you’re our QB now I figured it was only right that I let you in on it,” Puck then gave her a sly grin, “Lots of hot babes will be there if that’s your thing. Is it your thing?”

Brittany chose to ignore the question, “Thanks for the invite. I’ll try to swing by if I can.”

“Not to brag, but my parties are usually pretty awesome,” Puck flaunted, “If you want to start off on the right foot at this school – being the new kid and all – you’re gonna want to show up.”

She couldn’t decide if that was meant to be a threat or that he just sucks at persuading, but Brittany shrugged it off. She was beginning to get the impression that Lima might live up to the stereotype of being a small town.

Brittany didn’t waver though, “I’ll keep that in mind, Puck. I’ll see you around.”

\\\\\\\\\

As a Cheerios Co-Captain, Santana Lopez knew that there were certain social obligations that she had to keep up with. One of those obligations being the End of Summer party Puck always threw. Only the top dogs of McKinley were allowed to attend and if you didn’t it was basically social suicide.

With everything that happened last year, Santana couldn’t afford to miss it no matter how much she hated going. It was like her reputation had been in freefall and she was barely holding on. She couldn’t have that – not for her Senior year – so she sucked it up and told her parents she was sleeping over her best friend’s house.

Quinn Fabray – the other Co-Captain of the Cheerios – was the only person it seemed like that kept Santana sane. They considered themselves _the hottest bitches_ McKinley had to offer and most of the student body couldn’t help but agree. They had the looks, the smarts, the snark; they were the perfect duo and were set on ruling the school.

Santana hoped that last year was just a minor blip in their legacy. She had high hopes coming into Senior year, she already felt like she had hit rock bottom and she was over feeling sorry for herself.

The best way to feel on top again? Attend Puck’s party.

Of course, it was easier said than done.

\\\

The music is loud and there are people everywhere. Honestly, Santana has no idea how these things have never been shut down. She thinks maybe the dopes down at the Lima Police Department are just too swamped with real crime-fighting to deal with Puck and his shenanigans for the millionth time. 

That’s obviously a joke. Nothing interesting ever happens in Lima, the LPD are just a bunch of lazy fucks who apparently don’t care about a couple dozen kids drinking underage.

Santana sits with Quinn at the edge of Puck’s pool and they just people-watch as they dangle their feet in the cool water. It’s a hot night and there are already a couple drunken idiots wading in the shallow end, singing along to the music at the top of their lungs.

She looks down at her red solo cup and swirls the amber liquid. She barely has a buzz so she takes another gulp in hopes that she’ll catch up and finally start enjoying the party.

Quinn watches her wearily but does the same. Neither of them want to be there but appearances are important, especially to them.

Speaking of appearances, Santana spots a leggy blonde across the way through the glass double-doors. She’s dressed casually in cut-off jean shorts and a white t-shirt. Santana raises her brow; she wishes she could show up to a party looking like that. It took her an hour alone to do her make up, let alone pick out the right outfit.

Santana continues to watch her – though she feels a little weird for it. She’s never seen the girl around here before and decides that’s the reason why she can’t take her eyes off of her – she’s just curious. A little piece of her deep down inside calls her out for lying.

Still, Santana just assumes the blonde came with one of the football players since that’s who she seems to gravitate to. She notices the familiar faces from the football team – Sam Evans in particular – and watches as he hands the blonde a red cup.

The girl smiles in return and _wow,_ Santana’s a little star-struck by its brilliance. Sam must’ve said something dorky because now the girl’s laughing and shaking her head at him. Santana’s never seen someone so effortlessly beautiful and she has to bite her cheek to keep from smiling too. This girl, she has one of those infection kind of smiles and it’s trouble.

Mike Chang walks up next and clinks his cup against the girl’s and together they begin to chat.

Santana quickly glances to Quinn to catch her reaction. Mike and Quinn aren’t exactly official, but it’s obvious they have a thing for each other.

Quinn’s not looking though and Santana feels a little relief. She can’t deal with a jealous Quinn tonight, and a little part of her doesn’t want this new girl to have to deal with that either.

When Santana glances back, she recognizes Sugar Motta – McKinley’s resident Richie Bitch – pulling the blonde girl in to dance and suddenly Santana’s watching a little too closely.

This girl can clearly dance and the way she moves with Sugar is so graceful. Sugar on the other hand isn’t as fluid, but their hands smooth over each other teasingly. When the blonde’s hands land on Sugar’s hips, they start to sway together and Santana can just tell that the blonde’s the one leading now.

Santana can feel this coil within her tightening the longer she watches, her mouth getting drier at the way she takes control.

Then the song changes and the two laugh and carry on so carefreely as if nothing happened. Their moves mimic the steady rhythm and they start to bounce with their fists pumping at the air in time to the pounding bass.

Santana frowns at the slight pang of jealousy; she used to be like that, so uncaring and full of life. She danced with whoever she wanted – boy or girl – and it didn’t matter, but now…now it does.

“Who’s she?” Quinn asks, her gazing lining up with the blonde talking to Sugar.

“No idea.”

“Should I ask around?”

“No!” Santana blurts and Quinn eyes her suspiciously. Santana adjusts, “No. I’m sure we’ll find out sooner or later. She’s hanging around Sugar and you know she can’t keep her mouth shut for more than two seconds.”

Quinn smirks, “True.”

\\\

When Puck finally rears his ugly mug, Santana’s surprised they were able to dodge him for so long.

“Hey ladies,” He greets with his signature smirk, “I’m not interrupting, am I?”

There are beer stains on his open button-down and Santana can smell the tanning oil on him from where she sits. He’s got a nice body or whatever, but that doesn’t mean he needs to strut around basted in _Hawaiian Tropic_. She can’t really talk though, she and Quinn have _both_ made out with him at some point in time.

“Scram, Puckerman,” Santana replies with a roll of her eyes, “I’m not drunk enough to deal with your lame ass.”

“Is that any way to talk to the host?” Puck mocks and squeezes in to sit between the Co-Captains.

Santana groans and shuffles away from him, but he throws a heavy arm around her and Quinn’s shoulders. She can smell something stronger than beer on his breath and scoffs as she gets out from underneath his arm, “You’re gross.”

“Whatever. I’m not here for you anyway,” Puck brushes off and leans heavily against Quinn instead, “I know you’re not on the menu anymore or has that changed?”

Santana’s taken aback but her heart begins to pound wildly at the accusation.

“Choose your next words carefully,” Santana warns.

“What?” Puck laughs, “You still trying to hold out on me?”

“Puck,” Quinn snaps and shrugs out from under him too.

He’s too drunk and wrapped up in his own bullshit to notice that he’s crossed a line, but his voice grabs the attention of those surrounding them.

Santana suddenly feels small, trapped even. It feels like everyone’s staring now and listening to Puck’s drunken words.

“All I wanna know is if that _phase_ is over with now?” He says and it’s like the final blow for Santana.

She shrinks back and her vicious words that use to come so easily for her die on her tongue. There’s a crowd gathering now and she notices the blonde girl from before eyeing them too.

“It’s not a phase, asshole,” Quinn snaps and surprises everyone watching by pushing him into the pool.

Santana’s eyes go wide as she sees the big splash. She’s never been so thankful to have Quinn as her best friend.

“What the hell, Quinn!” Puck grumbles as he resurfaces, “I had my phone on me still!”

“Shouldn’t have been a dick then,” Quinn shrugs and hooks her arm with Santana’s, “Let’s go, the beer’s flat here anyway.”

Santana finally kicks into gear and nods, “Yeah. I’m not trying to be hungover for practice tomorrow.”

Santana doesn’t know why, but as they turn to leave she looks around for the mysterious blonde. To her disappointment, she’s nowhere to be found.

They make their way to the street and begin the short walk home in silence. Santana’s heart is still racing even though they’re so far away now that she can’t even hear the low thrum of the music emanating from Puck’s place. She hopes that no one saw her choke on her words, maybe they’ll be too distracted by Quinn’s actions to remember.

It’s not until another ten minutes later when they’ve arrived at Quinn’s house that Santana finally finds her voice again.

“Thanks Q,” She says quietly. She knows she doesn’t need to elaborate and she’s thankful for that too.

Quinn only lifts her shoulder in a lazy shrug, “You would’ve done the same for me.”

\\\\\\\\\

The first day of school rolls around quickly for Brittany, but despite being the new kid she makes friends relatively easy. Kurt’s in her first class and she’s honestly so relieved to see a familiar face.

He takes it upon himself to show her around and introduce Brittany to his friends. So far, Brittany’s met a Tonya or Taylor – she’s not very good with names – but she’s nice. There’s also Mercedes – she remembers that name – who Brittany met in her Astronomy class and alongside Kurt guide, they guide Brittany through McKinley High.

It’s a total Mean Girls moment and Brittany finds herself laughing at how eager they are to show her around.

When they get to lunch, she notices that everyone is pretty cliquey which is something she isn’t use to. At her old school, everyone mingled with everyone. It didn’t matter if you played sports or if you were considered _cool_ , people just hung out with whoever they wanted.

At McKinley High, that’s clearly not the case.

All the football players sit together but instead of joining them, Kurt leads Brittany and Mercedes to a different table close by. They get a couple of curious looks, but all Brittany can focus on is what they’re wearing.

“Why have they got on their letterman jackets?” Brittany questions with a laugh, “It’s so hot outside, they have to be melting.”

“How else do expect them to establish dominance?” Kurt says sarcastically, “I only wear mine on game days. You don’t have one yet, right?”

“No,” Brittany answers, “But I _do_ have my own number now.”

“Oh good,” Kurt grins, “It’s official now.”

\\\

Kurt and Mercedes are still trying to give her the rundown, but Brittany’s starting to reach her peak when it comes to taking in all the new info. Whatever they’re saying now is kind of going in one ear and out the other, the only thing that brings her back is spotting the familiar brunette she saw at Puck’s party.

Even if Brittany drank a little more than she anticipated, she was still sober enough to remember the saddest looking girl at the party.

“And those are the Cheerios,” Mercedes tells Brittany as if she could read her mind, “McKinley’s cheerleading squad and top of the social food chain.”

“I haven’t seen them at any of the games,” Brittany looks to Kurt for an explanation.

“They don’t bother with pre-season,” Kurt answers, “They’re basically the only ones here winning any titles. Coach Sylvester practically lets them get away with murder.”

Brittany notes all the high ponies and uniforms, everyone’s make up is on point and there’s not a single hair out of place. They all look immaculate, but Brittany focuses on the two that she’s most familiar with.

“Who are they?” She asks.

“The blonde one is Quinn Fabray,” Kurt informs her in a hushed tone, “She’s Co-Captain along with the brunette – Santana Lopez – and both of their families are loaded. They’ve been best friends since _ever,_ you rarely see one without the other. Quinn’s kind of a prude and Santana’s – “

“A complete bitch for no reason most of the time,” Mercedes finishes for him.

Kurt shakes his head, “She has a reason.”

His cryptic words interest Brittany. Hell, she’s been interested ever since she saw Quinn push Puckerman into the pool.

“Doesn’t give her an excuse to terrorize us,” Mercedes reasons, “The girl is trouble.”

Kurt bobbles his head from side to side and looks back at Brittany, “It’s best if you stay out of her way, Brittany. It’ll make your life a whole lot easier.”

“You think?” Mercedes asks, “She’s on the football team, the quarterback even. You think Santana will mess with her?”

Kurt shrugs, “She still messes with _me_ doesn’t, she?”

“That’s true,” Mercedes frowns.

Brittany just nods, but that doesn’t extinguish the curiosity that has blossomed within her.

\\\

And maybe someone above is testing her, because when Brittany arrives to her final class of the day she finds the exact person Kurt and Mercedes have been warning her against interacting with: Santana Lopez.

And to make matters even worse, the only available seat left in the room just so happens to be the one right next to her. Brittany shakes her head and glances at the board to double check she’s in the right place.

_Creative Writing – Miss Holliday Room 215_

Brittany’s definitely in the right place and lets out a sigh.

 _Might as well bite the bullet_ , Brittany thinks as musters all the confidence she has left and she approaches the table. She’s been rushed at by guys ten times the brunette’s size moving at full speed on the football field and yet, she can’t help but feel a little nervous when she comes to stand before the Co-Captain.

“Hi,” Brittany greets with a polite smile, “Can I sit here?”

Santana glances up at her like she can’t believe the audacity Brittany has. She eyes her up and down then goes back to filing her nails, “No.”

Brittany nods, _so Kurt and Mercedes might’ve been right._

“There aren’t any other seats left,” Brittany adds.

Santana doesn’t even look up this time, “Sounds like a personal problem to me.”

Brittany has to bite her cheek to keep from laughing. This girl is something else but Brittany’s never been one to back down.

Unfortunately her teacher – Miss Holliday – approaches, “Are you seriously starting off the year by being a pain in my ass, Lopez? Don’t give the new kid a hard time. Move over.”

“Fine,” Santana rolls her eyes and slides her books closer to her side of the table.

Brittany looks back at the teacher and smiles, “Thanks.”

“All good,” The woman says casually. She’s young and reminds Brittany of one of her favorite teachers at her old school, “Have a seat, Sweet Cheeks.”

Brittany does as she’s told and gets settled next to Santana. She can feel the tension radiating off the Cheerio, but tries to ease it by introducing herself.

“I’m Brittany,” She tells the brunette and adds a friendly smile for emphasis. If she’s going to be stuck sitting next to her for the rest of the year, they can at least be civil. Right?

Wrong.

“I didn’t ask,” Santana retorts and spends the rest of class giving Brittany the cold shoulder.

For some reason though, that only makes Brittany want to get to know Santana even more.

Afterall, she loves a challenge.

\\\\\\\\\

It’s the last Cheerios practice indoors and Santana and Quinn soak up the privilege of conditioning in a space with A.C. There are many reasons why Santana dreads having to join football team outdoors for practice, one being that it’s hot as hell still during this time of year and also she can’t stand the cat-calling.

With Coach Beiste as the acting head coach now, the guys are a lot more tame but Santana still hates how she feels like she’s being watched all the time. Some of the other girls on the squad don’t mind it too much though, they’re all about teasing _and_ the pleasing apparently.

“How’s your schedule this year?” Quinn asks between stretches.

“It’s alright,” Santana shrugs, “Super easy. I got Holliday and Schuester again.”

“Lucky!” Quinn says, “I got Hagberg. I wish she would just retire already.”

Santana agrees then she remembers her last class of the day and how the mysterious blonde from Puck’s party now has a name, “Hey. Remember that girl we saw at Puck’s?”

“The blonde one?”

“Yeah, her. _Brittany_ ,” Santana murmurs the name, “I have a class with her.”

“Oh! Is she cool or something?” Quinn’s intrigued, “She’s pretty and she’s got some moves. We could get her on the squad?”

 _Pretty_ , Santana thinks it’s an understatement now that she’s seen her up close. She’s never seen eyes so damn blue and that smile – again, _wow_.

Quinn catches her swept up in her thoughts and quickly plays it off, “Hell no.”

“Really? Why not?”

“She’s just…,” Santana racks her brain for an excuse but she’s blanking, “She’s just not Cheerios material.”

Quinn calls her bluff, “How would you know?”

“I just do,” Santana scoffs and continues to struggle for a reason, “There’s something different about her, okay?”

“Different is good though, right? We could use that.”

“God Quinn, just drop it alright?” Santana snaps and walks off.

Quinn just laughs in disbelief, “ _You’re_ the one that brought her up!”

\\\

The rest of the week is a little of the same. Santana goes through the motions of her day although a hidden piece of her longs for her last class with Brittany. She still ignores the blonde’s attempts to make conversation, but it doesn’t seem like the girl is giving up anytime soon.

Quinn still presses for Brittany to join the squad, but Santana’s not having any of that either.

Quinn can’t understand why Santana’s being so adamant about the decision. Santana doesn’t know why either. In fact, there are a lot of things Santana doesn’t understand when it comes to Brittany, but she’s not exactly ready to unpack any of that.

If anything, she’s afraid of what it all could mean.

It isn’t until Friday night that things begin to get a little clearer for them all.

\\\

It’s the first regular season game which means it’s the first game the Cheerios make an appearance in. The Titans are pumped but Santana isn’t sure what’s gotten into them, they never win so cheering for them always feels like a waste of time. There’s a different air about the team this year though, but Santana doesn’t think much of it as the game kicks off.

Santana and Quinn and the rest of the Cheerios do what they do best and breathe life into the crowd like always, but they find that they don’t need to work as hard to keep morale up because the Titans are actually winning for a change.

In fact, Santana has to check the score twice to make sure she’s reading it correctly.

_Home: 9 Away: 0_

“What the hell?” Santana bumps Quinn with her pompom, “We’re winning?”

“Weird, right?” Quinn replies and nods over to the Titans’ bench, “Wonder if it has anything to do with that?”

Santana blinks, “Is that _Finnocence_?”

“Yeah, it is.”

Santana snaps back to the field, “Then who’s out there?”

“Sam?” Quinn questions but they know he’s #6 and #6 is on the other side of the field catching a perfectly thrown pass.

They both look to the quarterback and Santana asks, “Who’s #12?”

“No idea,” Quinn shrugs, “But he’s killing it!”

Santana doesn’t know much about football but she does know a lot about winning and whatever this guy is doing seems to be working.

Santana and Quinn spend the rest of the game trying to figure out who’s beneath #12’s helmet, but decide that someone already on the team must’ve been given a new number with the promotion to quarterback.

There’s really no other explanation.

All that though is quickly forgotten as the game ends and the Titans come away with their first win of the regular season. It’s practically unheard of considering their losing streak. The stands erupt in applause and Santana watches as the Titans go wild too. Sam and Mike hoist #12 onto their shoulders as the quarterback pulls of his helmet.

When Santana sees long blonde hair cascade out from underneath it, she just about faints because the Titans’ new quarterback isn’t some random guy: it’s Brittany.

“Well,” Quinn’s equally surprised and bumps Santana with her shoulder, “Looks like you were right about her being different.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I get excited by all the love this story has gotten so far and write a new chapter earlier than scheduled? YES I DID! But don't get used to it LOL. 
> 
> Also, 9-0 baby!

No one is more surprised by the discovery of the Titans’ new quarterback than Santana. Actually, _surprised_ doesn’t even begin to cover it. Santana’s flat out dumbfounded by the news.

Is it the fact that they’ve never had a female Titan, let alone a female QB? Is it the fact that she’s actually _really_ good? Is it the fact that it’s Brittany?

Santana’s at a loss.

The blonde just didn’t strike her as the type to play such a rough sport. She’s like this walking ray of sunshine that irks Santana to no end and she’s only had to deal with her for like a week! No one would’ve ever guessed that _Brittany_ was the one to lead the Titans to their first win but maybe that’s because there’s apparently this side of her that Santana just hadn’t seen yet?

Judging by the way Brittany dominated on the field, Santana had her all wrong.

\\\

Santana spends her entire weekend trying to stay on top of her tan before the Autumn chill sets in, but in between sips of cold sweet tea and scrolling through her social media feeds there’s Brittany. Again, she doesn’t know why the quarterback keeps disrupting her thoughts, but it seems like she can’t outrun the girl.

At the moment, Brittany’s everywhere Santana looks! Mainly on social media; one minute Santana’s liking a picture Quinn posted of them before the game on Friday and the next she’s being bombarded by shots of Brittany posing with her teammates. Mike and Sam basically make the same exact post with the whole _New Year New QB_ , but what surprises her is that even _Puck_ is on her feed doing the same thing!

To think that the guys would even allow having a female quarterback is beyond her, because the last time she checked they were all a bunch of sexist pigs. Then again, maybe Coach Beiste has finally taught them all a thing or two about respecting women enough to be okay with playing alongside them?

Santana has no idea.

It’s just crazy how this girl seems to have popped up out of nowhere and now Santana can’t get away even when she’s not at school. The weekends are sacred to her, it’s her time to relax and reset before having to deal with all the McKinley High imbeciles but seeing so much of Brittany has her thoughts running nonstop.

What’s worse is that Santana can’t describe why she’s so annoyed by it all!

\\\

It isn’t until Monday rolls around that things finally start to come to a head.

The Titans’ recent win still seems to be the only thing anyone at McKinley wants to talk about, but Santana manages to evade all those conversations. She doesn’t know anything about the game other than the Titans have sucked for most of her high school career but she’s still obligated to cheer for them.

It’s a small price to pay when you’re a _real_ winner. The Cheerios have way more titles and that’s really the only thing Santana cares about.

It’s all apart of her master plan to get the hell out of Lima once she graduates. With several National Championship wins under her belt, along with being Co-Captain since Sophomore year, Santana’s hoping it’ll help to expand her university options.

Although, she knows her future is practically mapped out for her – deep down she still has hope for a miracle. Until then, she just wants to make sure she’s well-prepared for anything which means retaining her position on the squad and making good grades. 

\\\

Santana goes through the motions of the school day as usual, and _as usual_ she fights the inescapable feeling of giddiness as she makes her way towards her final class of the day. She doesn’t actually mind the class – Miss Holliday is secretly one of her favorite teachers at McKinley – but she’s not the blonde that’s making her stomach fill with fluttery things.

She’s barely taken two steps into the room when she spots Brittany already sitting at their shared desk. She had been resting her chin in her palm looking bored as ever until Santana walked in. That’s when Brittany perked up and turned on her signature mega-watt smile.

It was getting harder and harder for Santana to scowl at the sight of it.

“Hi!” Brittany greeted happily as Santana took a seat next to her, “How was your weekend?”

It was always the same with Brittany, no matter what kind of look Santana threw her way. Brittany never seemed to be fazed by her grumpiness. She just took it in stride and continued to try and make conversation even if Santana never gave her much to work with.

Maybe that’s why Santana’s drawn to the blonde? She doesn’t scare easily unlike most at the school who wouldn’t dare be so persistent.

“Fine,” Santana answered with a sigh of indifference while she got settled and took out her binder and pen.

“Awesome,” Brittany nodded and picked up her own pen to start doodling, “I had good weekend too. I went to the park, did some chores around the house, hung out with some guys from the team and – “

 _The team_ caused a crack in Santana’s façade.

She looked to Brittany, trying to figure out how the girl sitting next to her was the same fierce player she saw Friday night. With the confusion and curiosity that’s been building ever since, the words just came tumbling out of her before she could catch them.

“You’re our new QB,” Santana stated but it sounded more like an accusation than an observation.

Brittany’s brows rose and a coy smile began to spread across her lips, “So you _can_ say more than two words?”

Santana rolled her eyes at the sarcasm but even more so at how that smile made her stomach flip. She really needed to get her shit together.

“But yeah,” Brittany added coolly, “Seems like I am.”

Santana looked down at her binder, “You didn’t say.”

“You didn’t ask,” Brittany replied just as quickly.

Before Santana could get wrapped up in that giddy feeling again, she hardened herself. She was starting to see how Brittany could keep up with the guys on the team, the girl was quick and she had confidence.

Santana liked that…or whatever.

“Sup dudes!” Miss Holliday greeted the class as she strolled in just after the bell, “Is this Monday _dragging_ or what?”

Some kids grunted in agreement. Brittany chuckled away and Miss Holliday smirked up at her.

“Awesome game, Chica!” Miss Holliday complimented as she walked down their row closest to Brittany. She held out her fist for Brittany to bump, “You kicked butt out there.”

“Thanks,” Brittany replied sweetly as their fists connected, “It was a team effort.”

“Spoken like a true leader. About time we got a little girl power in this school,” Miss Holliday nodded approvingly before moving down the row.

Santana watched Brittany giggle then get swept up in listening to Miss Holliday’s instructions for the warm-up activity. Again, Santana found herself in awe of how Brittany was the same girl who could break tackles and fire a football downfield. Brittany was friendly and soft and diplomatic, nothing like any of the guys on the team.

“You’re staring,” Brittany pointed out although her gaze remained on Miss Holliday now standing at the front of the class setting up the projector.

Santana doesn’t know why, but Brittany’s comment makes her cheeks burn.

She was glad when one of the kids closest to the door was asked to turn off the lights. In the darkness, she found some comfort and a little confidence. She was able to get a grip and act like a normal person.

“We’ve never had a female QB before,” Santana whispered. She had her pen in hand, trying to follow along with everyone else by doing the activity but her focus was elsewhere.

“So I’ve heard,” Brittany replied just as softly.

Santana didn’t know what to say next; this was the most they’ve spoken to each other thus far and she really didn’t know where the conversation was going.

What she didn’t anticipate though was fucking it all up with one sentence.

“Girls,” Santana breathed out and for some reason the word made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She didn’t realize she hadn’t said it in awhile, maybe not since seeing… 

Santana swallows hard at the memory trying to worm its way in. She pushes it to the back of her mind; now isn’t the time for it. 

“Girls,” She repeats herself with a steadier voice, “They aren’t supposed to play football.”

When Brittany looks at her, the friendly smile is gone and her pretty blue eyes are darker and fill with disbelief.

Santana knows she said the wrong thing the second the words leave her lips. It’s not exactly what she meant, but it’s too late to take it back now. Her words have already done the damage. 

“Huh,” Brittany scoffs and averts her eyes back to her work, “Didn’t expect to hear that coming from you.”

Santana frowns – mostly out of guilt – but her instincts have her on the defense, “What’s that suppose to mean?”

She watches Brittany’s jaw tighten before she’s turning to look at Santana again. Her brows knit together, “It means I didn’t think you were the small-minded type.”

Santana feels winded.

She’s been called many things in her life and has heard some creative insults aimed at her, but never has she ever been called _small-minded. S_ he’s surprised by how much that one actually hurts. After everything she went through last year, after all the backlash, after having to deal with _real_ small-minded people she feels a little offended. She can’t be lumped in with them. It’s not possible, because she’s…

The word gets trapped her throat and Santana has to swallow hard again to steady herself.

 _She_ isn’t like everyone else.

On second thought, maybe she is if she’s still saying something like that?

“I’ve always been told that those who can play the game well should,” Brittany tells her firmly, “I think I’m someone that can and judging by your team’s standings for the past three years, you could use someone like me on that field.”

Santana gulps. She can’t remember the last time someone at this school spoke to her the way Brittany is. It’s not a tone she’s familiar with, but she knows she deserves it.

“I don’t know you very well, but I thought – I don’t know – I thought you’d at least be a little more accepting than the hicks I’ve come across in this town,” Brittany continues, “I guess I was wrong.”

Santana’s lips part to defend herself, but nothing comes out.

Brittany doesn’t notice, “It shouldn’t matter if I’m a girl or a boy or a damn alien from outer space. If you can play – if you _want_ to play – then you should, no matter what the sport is. Anyone that thinks otherwise is just…well, they’re stupid.”

The last word has Brittany’s voice cracking and the sound finally has Santana sputtering for an explanations, “I – I didn’t mean to – “

“You should probably just pay attention to the board, Santana.”

Santana bites her lip at Brittany’s clipped tone – that might’ve been the first time she’s ever heard Brittany say her name. She does as she’s told though. It’s best if she doesn’t dig herself a deeper hole.

\\\

Santana spends the rest of the day mulling over Brittany's words. Even through Cheerios practice after school, Santana can’t seem to get her head on right.

Maybe she really has become a product of her environment? Maybe all the small-minded people she's surrounded by have somehow managed to rub off on her after all of these years?

That can’t be the case, can it?

She hates that she has to ask herself that. Usually, Santana’s not one to have any regrets or remorse once she spits out her vicious words but this time she finds herself backpedaling when it comes to Brittany. She wasn’t trying to be a bitch, it just sort of happened and for once in her life she feels kind of horrible about it.

\\\

“You okay?” Quinn asks hesitantly after she dismissed the squad for a water break. Santana was meant to lead warm-ups today but Quinn seemed more eager to take over and Santana didn’t mind considering she’s so distracted.

“Yeah,” Santana shrugs, “I’m fine.”

“You’re quiet today,” Quinn notes, “You didn’t even laugh when Bec accidentally called Coach Sylvester _sir_.”

Santana tries to mask her worries and shrugs again, “She’s not that far off, have you seen Coach lately? Very mannish.”

Quinn smirks, pleased to seemingly have her best friend back, “So true.”

Just then Coach Sylvester blows her whistle and barks orders at the squad. Santana’s reluctant to move, but she pushes herself up anyway.

“God,” She groans as they walk over to the others, “I’m over this year and it hasn’t even started.”

“Same,” Quinn chuckles, “Let’s go make fun of the JV squad later? I hear they need a ton of work and their practices runs longer than ours because they suck so much.”

If it were any other day, that suggestion would have Santana eager to get a front row seat but even that doesn’t help. Still, she has to retain some sort of normalcy even if thoughts of Brittany are trying their hardest to disrupt that.

“I can’t wait to see that train wreck,” Santana quips and together, she and her best friend fall in line with the rest of the squad.

\\\

The remainder of the week is more of the same: class, Cheerios practice, homework then repeat. The only thing that’s out of the ordinary for Santana is the icy, cold shoulder Brittany’s giving her now.

Or maybe Santana’s the one avoiding _her_?

It’s all minor details. What’s important is that they aren’t speaking to each other anymore and Santana’s starting to miss Brittany’s usual cheerful greetings.

She knows what she needs to do to fix this. It doesn’t make it any easier for her to actually do it though. To admit that she was wrong, to apologize for her words, to accept responsibility for her actions? Santana’s not use to most of that!

It’s a weird kind of tension though between her and Brittany, so Santana’s not sure how much more she can take. Instead, she steals sideways glances in the dark and hopes Brittany takes pity on her and makes the first move.

Brittany doesn’t and soon one week’s worth of silence ends up turning into two.

\\\

Santana had every intention of making amends by last Friday’s game, but things just kept coming up. There’s class and Cheerios practice, but now she actually has to study for upcoming quizzes and assignments. She can’t fall behind again so once practice ends, Santana usually gets changed right away and heads straight for her car without even glancing in the Titans’ direction.

Is she using schoolwork as a lame excuse to avoid dealing with her shit? Of course, she’s a teenager. Procrastination comes naturally to her!

\\\

Later that night, Santana sits with both of her parents at the table for dinner. It’s a rare occasion to have Maribel _and_ Hector home at the same time, but that quickly loses its novelty when Hector starts to grill Santana on her studies.

“Papi, it’s only the third week,” Santana gently reasons.

“And?” Hector gives her a stern look, “You need to stay on top of things, Santana.”

It’s a simple sentence, but Santana feels like there’s way more beneath the surface. Sometimes it’s hard being the daughter of a successful doctor whose father was also a doctor and his father before him. There is a long line of them in the Lopez legacy and that looms over Santana like a dark cloud, especially now that she’s in her Senior year.

It’s gone without saying whose footsteps Santana will follow, but it’s still a lot of pressure for her. It’s only a matter of time before her dad begins to lecture her again about college and the importance of good grades and extracurriculars while her mom tries to alleviate some of that stress.

She’s never met two people who show their love for someone so differently.

“Don’t put too much pressure on her,” Maribel says and squeezes Santana’s hand from across the table lovingly, “You’re doing fine, mija.”

Hector frowns at his wife, “Fine isn’t enough. You think any of these Ivy League schools care about _fine_? Of course not. They’re going through thousands of applicants a year and _fine_ doesn’t stand out. _Fine_ doesn’t get into Harvard.”

Maribel narrows her eyes at his rambling.

“Don’t give me that look,” Hector huffs but his voice softens as he looks to Santana, “You know what I’m talking about.”

Santana can already guess what he’s about to say. She’s heard it so many times before.

“You can’t get complacent, Santana. You have a lot to make up for,” Hector adds just as Santana knew he would, “Especially after the year you’ve had.”

“That’s an understatement,” Santana mumbles as she pushes food around on her plate.

“What was that?” Hector raises a challenging brow.

“It’s nothing,” Santana dismisses and smiles reassuringly at her dad, “I’m on top of everything this year, Papi. I promise, you don’t have to worry. I won’t disappoint you.”

When Hector matches her smile, Santana feels a little relief even if it only lasts for a moment.

\\\

It isn’t until they’re nearing the end of the third week of school when things on the Brittany-front begin to shift for Santana. They still aren’t speaking to each other, but the blonde practically pops up everywhere she goes – if not physically, then someone’s bound to be talking about her.

After securing a second win for the Titans, Brittany has quickly climbed the ranks on the popularity ladder. The buzz around her grows, but what’s odd is that despite her obvious talents and annoyingly charming smile the students of McKinley have mixed feelings about her.

More importantly, about having a female quarterback.

On her walks to class, Santana has overheard the murmurs of doubt in Brittany’s abilities. Some are frustrated at how a new kid was able to dethrone Finn Hudson who has been leading the team all of her high school career. Some think Coach Beiste is getting soft. Some think it’s all a hoax, but Santana doesn’t really understand that one.

Regardless of how they feel about her though, Brittany’s still able to part crowds any time she walks down the hall. It doesn’t look like she pays them any mind, but Santana’s been wrong about her before.

But with popularity comes the irritating gossip mongers and Santana happens to overhear Brittany’s first encounter with McKinley’s most annoying: Jacob Ben Israel.

\\\\\\\\\

Between her morning runs, class, football practice, weight training, homework and helping out with Pete, Brittany’s having a hard time finding a moment to relax. She should be use to the hectic schedule by now, but making the change from her old school’s system to Lima’s is throwing her off a little. The school days start earlier, football practices run later and the work is a little harder than she use to.

Then there’s everything going on with Santana and that might be the most frustrating.

For nearly two weeks, they’ve kept this _thing_ between them going. Did Brittany overreact by saying what she said? She doesn’t think so. Maybe Santana didn’t think what she said to her was a big deal, but to Brittany it was. The things people say to her in Lima aren’t anything knew, but that doesn’t mean she’s immune to their sting.

Most times, she’s able to ignore them but it just hits differently when she hears the utter disbelief coming from a fellow female. It’s like, whatever happened to empowering and uplifting each other? Did Santana not grow up listening to the _Spice Girls_? Has she never watched _She’s the Man_? _Bend it like Beckham? A League of their own?_

It’s so irritating because she can’t even ask Santana, the girl avoids her like the plague! The only time they’re ever close enough is in English class and that’s only because they have to share a table.

\\\

Brittany’s tired and achy and she’s so wrapped up in her thoughts as shuffles through her locker for her textbook for next class that she doesn’t notice she is no longer alone.

“Brittany Pierce!” Brittany hears someone say and the sound makes her flinch, “You’ve become quite the celebrity.”

She leans back slowly and peeks around her locker door to find a rather dorky looking guy with a huge cloud of hair. She notices the mic in his hand next and is instantly confused.

Is she on tv?

“Who are you?” She asks and glances around unsurely for a camera.

“Jacob Ben Israel,” He says and holds out his hand for her to shake, “Some call me JBI for short. I’m McKinley’s #1 source for news and the hottest gossip.”

Brittany shakes his hand; it’s grossly warm and sweaty as hell but she’s not surprised judging by the look of him. He certainty isn’t dressed like a journalist or one of those news reporters she has seen on tv.

She can hear her dad’s voice in her head chastising her for _judging a book by its cover_ so she gives JBI a polite smile, “Oh okay. Nice to meet you.”

She goes to turn back to her locker, but JBI is quick to start the questions.

“So you’re the first female QB here at McKinley High. You’re new to the school and you’re the first to ever bench Finn Hudson and you’ve already led the Titans to their second victory this year. Hoping for a third this Friday?” JBI pauses and holds out the mic for Brittany.

She clears her throat, she’s not sure where the camera is so she just looks at him, “Of course. There are a lot of really great players on the team and I’m confident we can win a lot more games this season.” 

“Awesome,” JBI replies enthusiastically, “A winning streak isn’t something a lot of the students here have experienced. You’re off to a great start this year. You’re bound to be nominated for Homecoming Court!”

Brittany almost laughs at that.

She’s been nominated at her old school before – even won a couple times – but that’s because she was voted for by her peers, peers who have known her for years. She doesn’t expect any nomination this year, the only reason anyone knows her is because she plays football. If she were to be nominated, it wouldn’t be because she’s well-liked or something like that. It would be because she sticks out like a sore thumb.

“Sounds cool,” Brittany replies despite disagreeing with him.

“So tell us,” JBI’s voice takes a dip. It’s sneaky, almost mischievous, “Would you rather be crowned the King or the Queen?”

Brittany’s stomach flips. She doesn’t like this interview thing anymore.

“What?” She asks because the question confuses her but she finds him wearing this sly grin like he’s just found her weak spot.

He hasn’t, but Brittany’s guard instantly goes up.

“Don’t be shy,” He coaxes with the wag of his brow, “You know what I’m talking about. You’re a female QB, no way you’re strai – “

“Hey!” Suddenly Santana’s there, of all people, and there’s fury in her eyes as she shoves JBI’s mic to his chest, “Fuck off.”

Brittany blinks like she’s caught in a daydream. Her eyes shift from Santana to JBI whose grin widens upon seeing the Co-Captain.

“Now _this_ is a pairing I’m sure everyone would love to see,” He says as he talks into the mic again like nothing’s happened, like Santana isn’t about to beat him over the head with it. He looks to the camera – the kid’s been lingering over Brittany’s right shoulder thus far – and says, “It’s the infamous Santana Lopez, gracing us with her presence.”

Santana rolls her eyes, “I’m not gracing you with shit. Your little show sucks.”

“That’s not what my viewer count says. I’m sure you remember,” JBI quips as he turns back to the pair, “So Brittany, you didn’t answer the question.”

Brittany feels like a deer caught in the headlights; she can’t even remember what the question was, but thankfully Santana interrupts again.

“I said beat it, loser, before I shove that camera so far up your dumb ass you’ll be spitting out polaroids,” Santana snaps.

To Brittany’s surprise though, JBI doesn’t move right away.

“That doesn’t make sense, we’re not even using that kind of cam – “

Santana grits her jaw and takes a threatening step forward. Her voice dips low and gravely, “Try me, Jewfro. Please. I’ve been itching to kick you square in the nuts.”

That threat has JBI reaching to protect his crotch before he turns and runs down the hall with his camera-friend following him. 

Brittany watches Santana smirk like she’s so proud of herself for being able to instill the fear of God in someone before she’s averting her gaze. When her stormy brown eyes land on Brittany, the blonde feels a cold chill.

The smirk’s gone and in it’s place is a familiar scowl. Brick by brick, her wall goes up.

“I know you’re new here, _Pierce_ , so a little word of advice,” Santana warns as she turns to the lockers, “Don’t talk to him. He’s a wannabe journalist that reports nothing but bullshit. He’ll twist your words if you let him, trust me. I’ve seen it happen many times and I don’t want you to get caught up in his shit.”

Brittany’s at a loss for words.

Santana hasn’t spoken to her all this time and now all of sudden this? Why would it matter to Santana what she did or said or who she spoke to? Why would she care, she doesn’t even know Brittany?

There’s so many questions beginning to swarm her, but none make it out of her head.

“Thanks,” Is the only word Brittany ends up saying around a shy grin.

There’s a hint of smile on Santana’s lips when their eyes catch for a quick second, but it disappears just as fast.

“It’s whatever,” She says and Brittany hears a locker door slam, “I’ll see you in class.”

It isn’t until Santana’s halfway down the hall that Brittany finally realizes that their lockers are right next to each other’s. She can do nothing but laugh at the small coincidence.

\\\

The second time Santana speaks to her, it’s because Brittany accidentally scared the crap out of her.

It’s Thursday now – the last day of practice before the Week 3 game – so Brittany wants to get a jump on warm-ups. She knows there’s a thirty minute buffer between Cheerios and Titans practice, but she has to account for the extra time it takes to pick up her gear from Coach Beiste’s office first since everything’s stored in the boys’ locker room.

Usually, she gets the whole room to herself and plays a little music from her phone to get amped up. This time though, there’s one Cheerio that’s already there and this particular Cheerio surprisingly has a beautiful singing voice.

Brittany feels like she’s being lured in by one of those sirens she has read about in Greek mythology. She thinks she should probably make her presence known because creeping around a locker room is kind of weird, but she’s so in awe of the girl’s voice.

More importantly, the owner of that voice.

“Jesus!” Santana gasps when she rounds the corner to find Brittany lingering by the hampers. Her hand flies to chest to steady her beating heart, “What the hell are you doing, Pierce? Trying to give a girl a heart attack?”

Brittany thanks the heavens when she finds that Santana’s fully clothed already.

“I’m sorry!” Brittany blushes, “I didn’t think anyone would be here.”

Santana just shakes her head before eyeing Brittany again. There’s a flash of concern when Santana says, “You look like shit, worse than yesterday when I saw you with JBI.”

Brittany’s not sure how to take that. She hasn’t been sleeping well, that’s for sure, but it worries her that her tiredness is beginning to show. At least, that’s what she hopes Santana is talking about.

“I’ve been super busy lately. Guess I’m just ready for the weekend,” She says instead as she fumbles with the shoulder pads in her hands, “Sorry for interrupting you.”

“Interrupting me?”

“Yeah, you were singing. It sounded really pretty.”

“It’s not a big deal,” Santana brushes off before crossing her arms over her chest, “Why are you in here so early? Doesn’t your practice start at 4?”

“Why are _you_ in here so late?” Brittany challenges, “Didn’t your practice start at 3:30?”

Santana cocks her head to the side, “I had to talk to Ms. Pillsbury about something.”

“Who?”

“She’s the guidance counselor. You’ll probably meet her soon, she’s on all the Seniors about their college application due dates. Figures, she’d want to start off with me.”

Brittany wants to know more. Afterall, she’s naturally curious when it comes to getting to know new people so the questions build but she doesn’t voice any of them. Not that Santana would give her any answers anyway.

Santana’s looking at all the gear Brittany’s toting along with her duffle bag and her brows furrow, “Did you carry all of that here?”

Brittany looks down at her gear and nods.

“Why?” Santana scrunches her nose, “Don’t you have a locker or something?”

Brittany shakes her head, “I was never given one. Coach Beiste said Coach Sylvester is meant to assign one to me, but I guess she’s been busy.”

“Doubt it. She hates Coach Beiste so in turn, she hates you.”

Brittany frowns; what’d _she_ do?

“She’s probably just giving you a hard time because you’re a Titan instead of a Cheerio,” Santana answers then walks off. She goes to grab the clipboard that hangs above the hampers, dangling from it is a key, “I can assign you one, it’s part of my _Co-Captain privileges_. This side is reserved for the squad, obviously, but the set by the showers are all free. You can leave your football stuff there too, doubt anyone in here is going to want to steal it.”

Brittany’s taken aback by Santana’s random act of kindness for a second time that week. She let’s her smile shine, “Thanks. It really helps having everyting in one place. I don’t have to waste so much time walking back and forth.”

Santana nods and there’s that hint of a smile again before she’s leading the way over to the section of lockers that’s now become Brittany’s.

“Top or bottom?” Santana asks as she scans the list attached to the clipboard. Brittany smirks and notices the moment Santana realizes what she has said, “As in locker preference.”

“Duh,” Brittany jokes with a straight face, “What else would you mean?”

Santana’s face is flushed now and Brittany tries her hardest not to laugh. She’s kind of cute when she’s flustered like that.

“I’ll put you down for _top_ ,” Santana answers stiffly. Now her eyes are solely glued to the clipboard in her hands, “I guess I can unlock the bottom one too though so you can have the entire segment. You can – uh – decide which you want to use or whatever.”

“That works for me,” Brittany replies casually before she starts to undress.

Santana practically runs into a wall when she sees Brittany pull her top up over her head and let it drop onto her open duffle bag.

“I’ll just leave you to it then,” Santana calls over her shoulder as she scurries off.

Brittany watches the whole thing curiously. Has Santana never changed in front of other girls before or something? That’s the only explanation she comes to for how awkward she’s being.

Brittany doesn’t dwell on it, just continues getting dressed.

\\\

By the time Brittany’s got her practice gear on, Santana appears again. She looks a little shier than before and she’s fiddling with her hands.

Brittany just smiles and reaches down for her helmet, “You going now?”

“Yeah,” Santana answers, “Just trying to enjoy the last bit of A.C.”

“It’s not that hot out,” Brittany chuckles and motions to her pads, “At least you don’t have to wear all _this_.”

“True,” Santana smirks, “Now that would suck.”

Brittany chuckles again. She likes this version of Santana, she hopes she can see her more often but there’s still a giant pink elephant in the room so Brittany doesn’t get too excited.

“I’ll see you out there I guess,” Brittany says.

Santana nods and turns to leave, but then stops and turns back to face Brittany again.

“Actually, I just wanted to say,” Santana starts.

Brittany wonders if this is it. If she’s finally going to get an apology after what Santana said to her the other week, or at least the start of a conversation about her opinion? Anything would suffice by this point.

Brittany waits.

“I just wanted to say,” Santana repeats and her voice is so shaky. It’s completely unlike the confidence she possessed when she told off JBI, “Have a good practice.”

It’s not what Brittany was anticipating her to say – and judging by the uncertainty on Santana’s face, it wasn’t what she was anticipating to say either – but she’ll take it.

“Thanks,” Brittany grins as she walks by her to leave, “You too.”

\\\

By Friday night, Brittany’s feeling better than she has all week. Although they’ve yet to acknowledge Santana’s misjudgments, baby steps in the right direction have been taken.

Kind of.

First Santana defended her against JBI then on Thursday she assigned Brittany a locker and today? Today Santana brought her a drink from the Cheerios special lounge while Brittany was getting ready for the game.

“What is it?” Brittany asked hesitantly as she eyed the color of it. She’s sitting on the benches in the locker room completely dressed now in her uniform. All that’s left are the final touches like a quick dance party to get her pumped and applying a little Game Day eye make up.

“It’s a bunch of healthy stuff like fruits and veggies. All fresh so that explains the color, no preservatives. There’s some vitamin supplements in there too,” Santana explains like it’s all a bother.

Brittany’s beginning to see through that though.

“I don’t take drugs,” Brittany replies and tries to give the bottle back.

Santana rolls her eyes and there’s that hint of a smile again, “Does Vitamin D count as a drug? If so, then Puckerman is definitely on something stronger.”

Brittany frowns at the accusation, “Wait, seriously? The team can get in a lot of troub – “

“Easy, Pierce, I’m sure he’s just all-talk,” Santana amends, “I wouldn’t open an investigation on him or anything.” Then there’s a pause and for a second she looks a little shy as she motions to the bottle in Brittany’s hands. Her voice comes out softer, “Drink that. It’ll help with the tiredness and it’s good for your immune system too incase you’re about to come down with something.”

“You think I’m getting sick?” Brittany chuckles and turns back to apply thick black stripes to the apples of her cheeks.

Santana lifts a shoulder casually before standing, “You almost fell asleep in class today.”

Brittany blushes. Did she really? She’s so tired, she can’t even remember.

“What does that have to do with getting sick?” Brittany wonders.

“It’s almost that time of the year and bugs move quick,” Santana explains, “A lot quicker if you’re not taking care of yourself…for example, not getting enough sleep.”

That takes Brittany by surprise. Santana _caring_ about her? Why? But despite the surprise, Brittany feels warm and fuzzy all over.

“Alright Doc, I’ll drink it,” Brittany jokes as she finishes up drawing on the left stripe. She turns to Santana as she twists off the lid and makes a show of taking a long drink.

Santana actually laughs this time before she shakes her head.

“I feel better already,” Brittany beams as she stands. They’re close now and it’s then that Brittany really notices the height difference, “Thanks for this. What do I owe you? Pressed juices like these probably cost an arm and a leg here.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Santana dismisses and takes a step back to put some distance between them, “Just bring home another win.”

“You got it,” Brittany winks and goes to take another swig while she watches Santana leave the locker room.

\\\

Unfortunately, it’s a rocky start this time for the Titans. It’s not that Brittany isn’t playing at her best because she always brings 110% to the field no matter how she’s feeling. It’s actually her teammates who aren’t as focused as she is for some reason. There’s still a lot of work to be done when it comes to being a cohesive unit, but today they’ve really taken a step back.

They’re down by 17 points when the half is called.

\\\

“Alright, what’s going on out there?” Coach Beiste questions. She’s fuming as she eyes everyone for an answer, “What I’m seeing is that Pierce is the only one here that’s come to play.”

Karofsky scoffs and folds up his arms, “I’m so _over_ hearing about her!”

“Me too!” Azimio chimes in, “First we let in Hummel and now her? What’s next? She gonna join the Puck Heads in the off season and _change the game_ for them too? The rest of us are chopped liver now. It’s not good for my reputation!”

“Your reputation? You were a loser just like the rest of us before Brittany came,” Mike replies but the two don’t take kindly to being called a loser and start shoving at him.

“Cut it out!” Sam tries to breaking it up.

Brittany looks over at them and grimaces. Dave and Azimio both have been a pain in her ass since she’s joined the team, but she thought they were past this by now? They’ve got a winning record, they’re actually improving on being a better team, so what’s the issue all of a sudden?

Coach Beiste shakes her head at them, “Give me a break! One person doesn’t win games. You don’t have to like Pierce but you’re going to give her your respect if you want to play on my field. It’s as simple as that. You work together, you listen and respect each other. That’s what it means to be a team, is it not?”

Brittany eyes her teammates. Aside from the select handful that actually _like_ her, the guys look at her like she’s the enemy. It makes Brittany feel really unsettled.

“Is it not?” Coach Beiste presses.

There are mumbles amongst the squad but it’s not enough for Coach Beiste.

“Louder!”

“Yes, Coach!” They say in unison.

“Okay then, let’s starting acting like a team out there and win this game!” She says with the clap of her hands.

\\\

They’re in the fourth quarter now and the Titans have managed to make it a close game despite their rough start. Coach Beiste’s pep talk must’ve worked because the team is playing harder than the first half, but Brittany still senses the undertones of resentment.

She packs it away for now and just focuses on making plays. Afterall, she’s meant to be winning this one for Santana. Well not _for_ Santana; it’s more like paying her back for the drink earlier.

Brittany nods resolutely and looks to the sidelines to see the Co-Captain shaking her pompoms. She does a high kick and yells out a cheer in time with the others, but the smile she’s wearing is what catches Brittany’s eye.

She shakes her head and focuses on the snap.

“Down!” Brittany calls out. She catches the other team’s Line Backer’s movement from the corner of her eye. The defense looks hungry, but so are they. She smirks and braces herself, “Hut!”

The ball is snapped and Brittany quickly hands it off to Puckerman. So far their run game has been pretty weak tonight, but Puckerman surprises everyone and kicks into gear. He plows through the defense at full speed, breaking tackle after tackle, until he crosses over for a first down and steps out of bounds.

He spikes down the ball and makes a sawing motion with his arm while the crowd goes wild. Matt runs up to congratulate him with a hard pat on the back.

“Yes!” Brittany jumps up and down as she cheers.

Over on the sidelines, the Cheerios are just as excited as they chant:

_“First and ten, first and ten! First and ten, let’s do it again!”_

Brittany sees Santana watching her with a huge grin and it makes her feel warm all over again. She knows it’s silly to think that Santana’s cheers are just for her – same goes for that smile – but she can’t help but dream. 

Yeah, she’s decided. She’s really going to win this game just for her.

Brittany quickly runs up to their new line of scrimmage and everyone starts to take their position. She smacks Puckerman on the back when he jogs up next to her to get in formation.

“Nice carry, Puckerman!” She compliments.

“Sawed right through them!” Puckerman shouted excitedly back.

“Let’s keep up that energy,” Brittany praised and called out another play. They were in field goal range now, but like always – Brittany wasn’t here to play it safe especially with the new set of downs.

This time she wanted to try another play-action route since it worked pretty well in the pre-season game. Mike and Sam have proved to her that they have great hands, but they needed to work on their speed and timing. Now was a perfect time to test that. With Puckerman on a roll, the defense was sure to up their coverage on him rather than the receivers which would work perfectly in Brittany’s favor.

“Blue 82!” Brittany repeats and looks to her sides for confirmation that they’ve picked up the slight change.

Mike and Sam give her the barest nod before they’re glaring at their defenders. Brittany kicks up her foot and Mike quickly changes position so that he’s next to Sam now on the right side of the field.

“Blue 82!” Brittany calls out again and readies herself for the snap, “Down…Hut!”

The ball is hiked and she fakes the hand off to Puckerman so smoothly that the defense follows after him just as planned. While they chase him down to the left side of the field, Mike and Same cut up the right. Brittany holds onto the ball longer than she likes, making sure she gives her receivers enough time to breakaway from their defenders.

The other team’s Line Backer is trying his hardest to break through her O-Line though. Thankfully, Matt ends up making a key block for Mike and Brittany’s able to step up in the pocket and fire down a quick pass. It’s a little lower than Brittany wanted, but Mike makes the catch and pushes past a defender for another first down! 

Everyone went wild, but the play clock was still going since Mike hadn’t made it out of bounds.

Brittany motioned for everyone to hurry into position – this time she was going for a slant route with Matt being the intended receiver. She kept her eye on the seconds ticking away, but the team was able to make it in time to get set.

“OG 30!” She called out. She was really starting to feel that adrenaline kick in but she kept her cool and held out her hands, “Down…Hut!”

Again, Brittany caught the ball and dropped back as everyone began to move. Despite the grumpiness during half time, the guys that made up her O-Line – mostly Dave and Azimio – did their jobs correctly and held the line. Brittany looked to her right and faked a throw before turning to her left and firing at Matt.

He juggled the ball in the air, but ultimately was able to secure possession of it and ran up the side of the field for an easy touchdown!

“Let’s go!” Brittany pumped her fist in the air. That was their best drive all game and now with the new points on the board, they’re finally up by 6! With just a little over ten minutes left in the final quarter, Brittany’s feeling good about their odds in coming away with another win.

\\\

She was right to feel confident; Titans end up winning the game 27 – 21. When the final whistle was blown, everyone was cheering and some of her teammates rushed to congratulate her efforts. She happily returned the sentiments, but she couldn’t help but glance over at the sidelines to see if Santana was watching her again too.

And she was, alongside Quinn and the rest of the Cheerios.

Brittany just grinned as she pulled off her helmet and let down her hair, happy that she was able to make good on her promise to Santana.

\\\

Despite how great she felt after Friday’s win, Monday morning was a different story.

Everything hurts and she was so exhausted that she didn’t even go for her usual morning run which is telling because she’s one of those rare people that actually works well with routine exercising. She guesses all those late nights studying combined with her patchy sleep schedule have finally taken its toll on her body.

She thinks back to what Santana said Friday about getting enough rest. God, she hopes she isn’t coming down with anything. Getting sick is just not what she needs right now.

“Hey mom?” Brittany taps on Whitney’s bedroom door. The curtains are already drawn and welcome in the morning sun so she knows her mom’s awake already. Whitney appears in the doorway of the master bath in her work uniform and instantly looks worried.

“You feeling okay, kiddo?” She asks as she crosses the room to press at Brittany’s forehead.

“I don’t think I’m sick, but I feel horrible,” Brittany explains.

“Yeah, you don’t have a fever. Have you been getting enough sleep?” Whitney asks.

Brittany shakes her head. Whitney eyes her with concern.

“It’s not the dreams again, is it?”

Brittany shakes her head again, “No. I haven’t had one since the last time I told you. I think I’m just worn out.”

“You’re a busy girl,” Whitney nods.

“Is it okay if I stay home today?” Brittany asks hesitantly, “It’s the only day of the week that I don’t really need to be at practice. I think I can access most of my schoolwork online so – “

“It’s okay, Britt. Just rest today,” Whitney says, “Missing a day isn’t going to break you and I know you’ll catch up when you’re feeling better.”

Brittany fills with relief and gives her mom a weak smile. She’s so happy that Whitney’s so understanding, but she guesses that’s come from experience with everything that happened at the beginning of the year with her dad’s passing. Many mental health days were taken, but Whitney never made her feel bad for it. If anything, she always encouraged them.

“Thanks mom,” Brittany says before taking herself back to bed. She’s able to fall asleep fast for once and she doesn’t wake again until she has to use the bathroom.

\\\

When she wakes up the third time, it’s just after three. She sees a text from her mom saying that Gran has Pete and she’ll pick him up once she gets off of work so that Brittany can continue resting.

She smiles and sends a text back to thank her before getting up. After a quick snack and a big glass of OJ, Brittany heads to the couch for another nap.

This time, sleep doesn’t find her as easily as it did the other times so she turns on the tv and tries to find something to watch. She decides to put on something she considers boring in hopes that maybe it’ll bore her right to sleep.

Miraculously, her plan works and she settles in for another nap.

An hour or so goes by when Brittany begins to stir because Pete’s trying to squeeze onto the couch next to her. His cold feel touch her bare ankles beneath her blanket and she flinches at the feel.

“Honey, what did I say in the car?” Whitney whispers, “Let your sister rest.”

“I _am_ ,” Pete pouts, “I just wanted to sit with her.”

“How about you come help me with – “

“It’s okay, mom,” Brittany pushes to sit up. Pete instantly beams at her, “I’ve slept enough I think.”

“Feeling better?” Whitney asks and brushes her hand over Brittany’s wild hair.

She nods and does a little stretch, “Much better.”

“Good to hear,” Whitney says and bends down to press kisses to Brittany and Pete’s head, “I’m going to make dinner then. Just leftovers so it shouldn’t take long.”

When she heads off for the kitchen, Pete snuggles in closer to Brittany.

“Did you get to watch cartoons all day?” He asks curiously.

Brittany shakes her head, “Nope, but I did take many naps.”

“Nice!”

“Totally.”

\\\

Brittany and Pete are watching tv together a moment later when Brittany hears a knock at the front door. Pete jumps up at the sound and rushes to see who it is.

“Don’t open that door, Peter!” Whitney calls out from the kitchen, “Let your sister get it.”

Pete pouts and hangs back as Brittany moves to get up. She chuckles and ruffles up his hair as she passes by. When Brittany takes a peek, she’s shocked by what she sees and quickly opens the door.

“Santana?” Brittany greets. She’s both confused and pleasantly surprised.

“Who are you?” Pete asks curiously with his head tilted up at the Co-Captain.

“Hi,” Santana smiles kind of nervously as she glances between the two. She’s dressed in her Cheerios warm-up gear – she must’ve just finished practice – and has her binder tucked under her arm.

“Uh…I’m Santana,” She answers softly, “And you are?”

“I’m Peter!” Brittany’s brother holds out his hand to shake, “Everyone calls me Pete though, so you can too if you want.”

Santana quirks a brow at him but smiles as she shakes his hand anyway, “Nice to meet you, Pete.”

“Pete, can you go help mom?” Brittany instructs. She waits until he’s run off then asks Santana out of disbelief, “What are you doing here?”

“You weren’t in class today,” She says.

“Yeah…I didn’t feel well.”

“Didn’t I say you were going to get sick?” Santana smirks.

“I’m not sick,” Brittany sighs, “I was just tired.”

“Right,” Santana keeps the smirk and motions to her binder, “Well, I brought you the work you missed. It’s kind of important for the paper due in a few weeks.”

Brittany just blinks. Maybe she’s still asleep and this is all a dream?

“Here,” Santana offers and goes to flip through her binder for a couple handouts to give to Brittany.

The blonde accepts them although she’s still trying to grasp the fact that Santana’s standing on her doorstep, “Thanks.”

“Sure,” Santana nods and it looks like she’s about to turn away.

“Wait. How’d you know where I lived?” Brittany quickly asks before she can run off.

“Mike told me,” Santana shrugs, “Actually, Mike told Quinn and Quinn told me. Apparently you two are neighbors?”

“Yeah, he likes to tell everyone that,” Brittany chuckles before she gets a sudden burst of confidence and asks, “Did you…want to come in?”

“Uhhh,” Santana looks unsure but then she gives Brittany a small smile, “Okay.”

Brittany opens the door a little wider and leads Santana into the living room. She pushes the blanket she brought down from her room to the side so they can both sit on the couch. Brittany starts to flip through the packet Santana gave her and she’s already dreading the assignment.

“Woah,” Brittany gasps, “This is a lot.”

“Yeah,” Santana nods, “I can help you with it though if you want? Miss Holliday said we can work in groups if we wanted, but we’ll be graded individually.”

Brittany blinks blankly again, “Huh, that’s funny.”

“What?”

Brittany just shakes her head and shrugs, “Just the other week you were insulting me then you stopped talking to me for awhile and now you’re being super helpful. I just can’t get a read on you.”

Brittany wasn’t trying to make Santana feel cornered, she just wanted to open up the conversation. She was over ignoring the obvious, so she went straight for the kill and brought it up head on.

Santana’s shoulders dropped, “Look, I’m…I’m really sorry about that. I was so out of line.”

“Yeah, you really were,” Brittany replies but she isn’t trying to rile Santana up by being argumentative, “You know how many times I’ve heard something similar over the years? Ever since I started playing sports it’s always been: _you run like a girl, you throw like a girl, you’re pretty good…for a girl._ ”

Santana looks apologetically at Brittany and goes to fiddle with her hands in her lap. Brittany notes the familiar motion and decides its something she does when she’s nervous.

Brittany adds, “Like being a girl that plays sports is somehow less than, like it’s a bad thing. I’ve never understood it. I’m just as good as they are.”

Santana shakes her head, “No. I’ve seen you play. You’re so much better.”

“Thanks,” Brittany chuckles weakly, “You know, when I first started I wasn't trying to make some big statement. I didn't want the pressure of being the first female whatever, I just wanted to play. And my family, they've always been super supportive no matter the sport, especially my dad.”

Brittany feels the lump in her throat slowly start to form at his mention and takes a deep breath before speaking again.

“He use to come to every game. But people are so stuck on how I've disrupted their precious norms and it makes things harder than they need to be. No matter where I go, the people will either love me or hate me for this. It's crazy. I'm just a girl who loves playing football, why's that so odd?”

“It’s not,” Santana reasons, “You’re a good different, a kind of different a place like this needs.”

Brittany smiles fondly at Santana’s kind words, “Then why did you say what you did?”

Santana pauses for awhile trying to find the right words but in the end she just shakes her head and sighs, “Probably because I’m a bitch?”

Brittany flinches, she doesn’t think that’s the case.

“You’re just…you’re not what I imagined. I thought football players were rough and you’re not like that at all. You’re soft, delicate. You treat with kindness.”

“So does Kurt,” Brittany offers kindly, “And Mike, Sam too.”

“You know what I mean,” Santana replies.

“Yeah, I do. It’s called a stereotype,” Brittany smirks, “Football players happen to come in all shapes and sizes though. Some _are_ soft and delicate like you say I am and some aren’t, but out on the field we’re all the same. We’re one team.”

Santana nods, “I’m sorry about what I said. You have every right to be on that field, same as the guys. I’m sorry if I made you feel otherwise. I guess I’m still trying to adjust too. It’s not really something you see here…”

“I accept your apology,” Brittany grins.

Santana lets out a deep sigh, “This town can be so old school sometimes and it sucks how there are younger generations out here that don’t know any different. They don’t see how wrong it is to have such a shit mentality. I guess I forgot what progression looks like until you came.”

Brittany knows Santana’s being genuine now and it makes the wait for this conversation worth it. She goes to joke, “Well it’s a learning process. Now you know for the next time you come across someone who doesn’t fit the status quo.”

“Yeah,” Santana matches Brittany’s grin, “I really do.”

“Well hello,” Whitney greets as she enters the living room. She glances between Brittany and Santana as Santana rises to her feet. She stands up straight and proper, “You going to introduce me to your friend, Britt?”

Brittany gulps at the label. She doesn’t know if she’d call Santana a friend just yet.

“This is my mom Whitney. Mom, this is Santana,” Brittany says while Santana gives a polite smile, “We have class together. She was just bringing me some work I missed today.”

“That’s so kind of you,” Whitney compliments Santana.

“It was nothing,” Santana replied and glanced to Brittany, “I tried to warn her about the risks of over-doing it. I can’t imagine having a schedule like hers.”

Brittany’s brow rises at the overly polite tone. Who knew Santana was a little suck up when it came to parents. She smirks as she watches it unfold.

“Stubbornness, she gets that from her dad’s side,” Whitney jokes, “Would you like to stay for dinner? We’re just having leftovers but there’s plenty to go around.”

“Lasagna!” Pete cheers as he runs in from the kitchen.

Santana chuckles but shakes her head, “Thank you, but I should probably get home before my mom starts to worry.”

Whitney nods, “Of course. Well, it was lovely meeting you. Come on Petey, let’s make our plates.”

When they both wander off, Brittany’s again standing alone with Santana in the living room.

“So you’re a kiss-ass,” Brittany jokes, “Never would’ve guessed it.”

Santana rolls her eyes despite smiling, “I have a thing with parents. They love me, okay?”

“Sure, sure,” Brittany giggles, “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone that you’re secretly kind. Wouldn’t want to ruin your rep.”

“I appreciate it,” Santana quips playfully before gathering her things, “Well, I really should head off before my mom starts blowing up my phone.”

“Cool,” Brittany nods and leads the way over to the front door to walk Santana out, “Well. Thanks again for bringing over the work I missed.”

“No biggie,” Santana waved off as she turned to leave, “Glad you’re feeling better. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Brittany waved and watched Santana make her way over to her little red Mazda with a pleased smile.

Maybe they weren’t exactly friends yet, but compared to the downward spiral they’ve been experiencing…they weren’t enemies either.

And in football terms, that’s called forward progress.


	3. Chapter 3

By early October, Brittany has finally adapted to her busy schedule. With Autumn settling in, the mornings are a lot cooler but Brittany finds the crisp air refreshing when she’s out on her daily runs before class. Winters in Florida weren’t really all that cold, so this is all new to her.

Brittany takes it in stride though; in fact, she’s interested to see how the colder weather will impact her playing when it comes to Game Days. So far, the team is 5-0 now with just seven more games left of the regular season. Everyone on the team is feeling good about their current standings, but Brittany knows it’s wise not to let it get to their heads.

Cockiness doesn’t mesh well with an undefeated record. She knows that one from experience.

\\\

Brittany’s in the locker room just after practice one Wednesday and she’s a hot, sweaty mess. Her hair is sure to be all over the place, but she’s too tired to care about appearances after such a grueling session. All she wants is a shower and to be able to scrub the dirt and dust caked on her arms and shins. Maybe a nice face mask too? She’ll wait until she’s home for that one though.

“Woah,” Santana gasps when she rounds the wall of lockers designated for the Cheerios and nearly runs into Brittany. She eyes her up and down and smirks, “You look like you’ve been rolling around in mud.”

Brittany chuckles at her comment. Since Santana’s surprise visit a couple weeks ago, things between them have been a lot better. They actually talk and sometimes they even walk together to their last class if Brittany gets to her locker in time. It’s a nice change and it makes her school days a whole lot easier.

“Yeah, these new drills Coach Beiste has us doing are intense,” Brittany sighs but a happy smile soon graces her lips, “I didn’t expect to see you here still.”

“Me neither,” Santana groans, “Coach Sylvester wants Quinn and I to hang back and help come up with routines for Homecoming Week.”

“Is it that time already?” Brittany wonders aloud, “That would explain the extra drills.”

“Yeah, it’s next week,” Santana answers, “It’s one of the most busiest times for the squad. Honestly, Spirit Week should be renamed Hell Week because that’s where I’d rather be than to deal with all this extra work.”

“The perks of being Co-Captain,” Brittany teases before she asks, “Is it really that bad?”

“Small town high schools go apeshit over events like this,” Santana explains, “You’ll see. Quinn and I have to start campaigning for Homecoming Court as well, it’s kind of mandatory for us. I’m sure you’ll probably get roped into something too being that you’re the quarterback and all.”

“I hope not,” Brittany scrunches her nose, “I hate the extra attention when I’m not on the field. It’s super weird being treated like some kind of celebrity.”

Santana smiles apologetically and echoes Brittany’s earlier words, “The perks of being QB.”

Brittany grumbles through her pout. It makes Santana’s smile soften.

“Well, I’ll let you get cleaned up,” Santana says and shakes her phone, “Quinn’s finally back from our coffee run so I better go meet her.”

“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow then!” Brittany waves as they go their separate ways. 

\\\

When Friday comes around, the Titans are more amped up than ever. The guys are dressed in their jeans and jerseys and strut around the school like they own it. Brittany wears her jersey as well seeing that it’s tradition on Game Days, but she starts to notice the annoyed glares they get from some of the other teams.

More importantly, the Hockey team.

There was once instance where Brittany, Mike and Sam were talking by Sam’s locker when a couple guys from the Hockey team walked by. Brittany instantly felt the tension as the two teams exchanged glares.

“The hell you looking at?” Sam growled to Brittany’s surprise. She hadn’t ever heard him take a tone like that when it wasn’t being directed at Dave or Azimio.

Mike stood up a little straighter too and balled his fists.

The tallest one just laughed as he shook his head at them, “Couple of sell-outs.”

Brittany’s brow knitted; _what’s that suppose to mean?_

“Fuck you, Rick,” Sam scoffed, “At least we know what it’s like to win.”

“Right. You’re _winners_ now that you’ve got a _girl_ on the team,” Rick teased, “Fucking stupid.”

Brittany felt like she should say something, but she just griped the straps of her bookbag tighter until her knuckles whitened.

Rick looked to Brittany, “At least those gay ass tights finally work in _someone’s_ favor.”

“Get out of here, man!” Mike ordered as he took a step forward and shoved at Rick’s shoulder.

Rick stumbled back and held up his hands although the sly smirk was still there. He gave Brittany a wink then motioned for his guys to keep walking.

Suddenly Brittany felt a little gross. She’s no stranger to _those_ kind of comments too, but they’ve never lost their effect on making her feel sexualized. That might be one of the worst drawbacks to having so much emphasis on her being a female on a boys’ team.

“Don’t worry about them,” Mike said with a nudge to Brittany’s arm, “They’ve always been jealous of us even when we weren’t winning.”

“Hockey sucks,” Sam added, “That’s why. No one ever goes to their games.”

Brittany just nodded and pasted on a smile. She saw Santana down the other end of the hall walking towards her with Quinn and soon her smile turned genuine. Santana hadn’t looked her way yet, so Brittany just watched as those around her just stared like she was the hottest girl in school.

Brittany kind of agreed with that sentiment.

Sam and Mike noticed her leering and began to smirk when they realized who Brittany was looking at. When Santana and Quinn got closer, Sam and Mike glanced over at Brittany again to see if she was still staring.

They chuckled when they found that she was.

“Hey Pierce,” Santana smirked as she admired Brittany in her jersey and tight blue jeans. Maybe she kind of had a thing for a girl in uniform, but who didn’t?

“Hi Santana,” Brittany grinned.

Sam and Mike looked between themselves to see if they were invisible. That could be the only reason why Santana skipped greeting them.

Quinn chuckled and acknowledged the guys, “Hey boys.” Her eyes lingered longer on Mike than Sam before she averted her gaze to Brittany, “Hey Brittany.”

Upon hearing her name, Brittany blinked out of her staring contest with Santana and smiled in response. They haven’t actually met officially yet, but Santana talked about her enough for Brittany feel like she knew her.

“Hi,” Brittany greeted.

They five of them plummeted into an semi-awkward silence that was only broken up by Sam saying, “Well…this is awkward.”

Fortunately though, that was enough to have everyone laughing and the awkwardness wore away just as the bell rang out. Brittany’s next class was with Mike so she turned him and nodded.

“We should get going,” She said as she gave a last fleeting glance to Santana and smiled, “I’ll see you later.”

“Later,” Santana smiled back before turning to Quinn. The smile fell as she hardened, “Let’s go.”

Quinn nodded and together they continued their walk down the hall with their heads held high, their expressions only a couple of _top bitches_ could wear.

Sam just looked between the duos and frowned, “Guess I’ll just walk by _myself_ to class.”

\\\

By Lunch, Brittany’s sitting with Kurt, Tina and Mercedes at their usual table but today Brittany feels like she’s being stared at. Actually, she always gets stared at for her table choice but she doesn’t get what the big deal is.

Kurt, Tina and Mercedes are going on about an upcoming performance they’re planning with some of the other members of their club. Brittany can tell they’re excited about it as they reel off potential song choices.

“It’s going to have to get the approval from Rachel,” Kurt complains, “With her being the self-proclaimed Team Leader and all. I have no idea how Mr. Schue let her get away with that one.”

“Rachel can kiss my ass,” Mercedes waves off, “If she has us singing Barbra again, I’m going to riot.”

“I agree,” Kurt nods, “There’s just a time and a place for showtunes and I don’t think a school dance is one of them.”

“Definitely not,” Tina says, “Artie said he wants to do Miguel.”

“He would,” Mercedes laughs, “I can see it though; white boy could probably pull it off.”

Everyone at the table laughs, even Brittany although she’s barely following along. She hasn’t met a Rachel or Artie, but she knows who Mr. Schue is so she’s not super lost.

“Sorry Britt,” Kurt smiles apologetically, “We shouldn’t make you feel left out by talking about all of this Glee Club stuff around you.”

Brittany just shrugs, “I don’t mind it. It’s kind of nice hearing about something other than football and schoolwork so don’t mind me.”

“Would you…ever consider joining?” Tina wonders.

Mercedes and Kurt are surprised by the question but await Brittany’s answer anxiously.

“It sounds fun, but I just don’t have the time for it,” Brittany answers easily, “Plus I can’t really sing so I’m probably doing you a favor.”

Everyone can understand Brittany’s reasoning, so they don’t press any further. Instead, they go back to tossing out different ideas for a set list. It’s kind of cool listening along, but then Puck and Finn approach her and the mood changes. Brittany only know they’ve walked up because everyone at the table instantly silences.

“We’ve saved you a seat at our table,” Puck says.

Mercedes, Kurt and Tina glance between him and Brittany like they’ve just settled in for a show.

“Thanks but I like sitting here,” Brittany answers politely then turns back to her friends. She feels them still lingering behind her though.

Puck scowls and looks to Finn who’s staring at her like she just spoke in another language.

“Look, you don’t have to perform this kind of community service by sitting with these losers,” Puck tries again, “You’ve already proved that you’re cool.”

That comment has Brittany feeling hot.

The worst thing anyone can do is make fun of her friends and even if she doesn’t hang around them as much as Sam and Mike, Kurt and Mercedes were some of the firsts to treat her with kindness when she arrived to McKinley. That doesn’t get forgotten just because she’s higher up than them on this imaginary McKinley food chain.

“Don’t call my friends losers,” Brittany warns. The politeness is still there but it’s wearing down.

Puck just shakes his head and looks to Finn, “You tell her, man.”

“Britt, you can’t sit with them,” Finn says sternly. There’s an edge to his voice, like he’s trying to simplify it for her, “Titans sit with Titans.”

“I don’t see you saving a seat for Kurt too,” Brittany challenges. She can see they’re starting to gain an audience – even Santana and Quinn watch from their assigned table – but she doesn’t waver on her stance.

“It’s different for him. You’re the _quarterback_. There are certain things you just can’t do. One of them being this,” Finn explains with the wave of his hand at the table, “Quit making things difficult.”

“ _I’m_ not doing anything,” Brittany snaps as she goes to stand this time and all heads turn to watch. She keeps her chin raised though Finn towers over her. She’s not going to get pushed around over something so ridiculous, “If Kurt can’t sit with the rest of the _team_ then neither will I.”

Finn just presses his lips tightly together in a grimace while Puck stares at her in disbelief.

“You’re not Team Captain anymore, Finn, and one of these days you’re going to finally understand that the way things are done here aren’t right,” Brittany explains, “And if I have to be the one to teach you that, then so be it. I’m already schooling you on the field. I don’t mind the extra work.”

Finn scoffs at that but Puck looks a little impressed.

“Damn,” Puck smirks and glances to his side at Finn, “She might have bigger balls than you.”

Finn ignores him though.

“Whatever then,” Finn huffs, “Don’t come running to us when this backfires on you.”

“Don’t worry,” Brittany smiles sweetly, “I won’t.”

When she sits back down, Kurt’s jaw is dropped.

“That was amazing,” He applauds.

Brittany just shrugs, “I hate the double-standards at this school, almost as much as I hate bullies.”

“Well there’s a ton of them here,” Mercedes jokes before giving Brittany an approving nod, “That was pretty cool though. Don’t think I’ve ever seen Finn so tripped up.”

Brittany smiles at the compliments but she hates confrontation so the conversation doesn’t sit well with her. She knows it’s impossible to breeze through high school without a ruffling some feathers, doesn’t mean she likes to do it on purpose. She’s just not one to sit idly by either.

Brittany goes back to her lunch and tries to push away how Finn’s warning lingers in the back of her mind.

\\\

By Game Time, the Titans take the field with the most energy that Brittany’s seen yet. They’ve gained quite a crowd despite it being an Away game for the them. Now that they’re on this historical winning streak, it that adds to the team’s eagerness to play and the spectators eagerness to watch.

Not to mention that this game happens to be against their biggest rivals: the Carmel High Camels.

The school has dominated across the board in all aspects, so – before Brittany’s arrival – the Titans never stood a chance. That doesn’t stop the rivalry from being any less intense. The teams’ hatred for each other runs deep, but the Titans feel revived this season because now they’ve got Brittany and Brittany’s a gun in the pocket.

Or so that’s what all the guys have been saying. Brittany tries to keep a level-head though.

She has watched the tapes of their past games against Carmel, she can see why they’re the top team to beat. The Camels are a well-oiled machine with a current standing of 5-0 as well. Their defense has been known to get aggressive when it comes to applying pressure on the QB, so Brittany’s going to have to rely heavily on her O-Line for protection.

They’ve done pretty well thus far in doing that, but Brittany knows anything can happen. The other team can just as easily find a weak point and there goes their winning streak.

Brittany shakes out her arms to loosen up and wonders if she’s being realistic here or if she’s still letting Finn and the Hockey guys get in her head. She can’t decide, so she glances up at the stands for a distraction and finds her mom and brother waving at her.

Pete’s holding up a sign he made and it has Brittany smiling at all the colors he decided to use. She gives them a wave too before she’s putting on her helmet and jogging out to join the ref and the other team’s nominated player to perform the coin toss.

When the other team wins and decides to be on the receiving end, Brittany gets a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach.

\\\

The Titans are dealt their first serious blow of the season.

It’s the worse game Brittany’s played yet. Not that her performance was specifically bad, she just wasn’t prepared for the Camel’s intense man-to-man coverage which made it extremely difficult for her receivers to get open.

She also can’t believe they lost to a school that has a camel as their mascot, so weird.

The Titans had to rely on their still-developing run game which – to be put simply – sucked majorly. Puckerman was wrapped up every single time and Brittany could see that he was starting to let his emotions get to him. She tried to remind him to use that for the next play, but by then she had lost a lot of the guys’ to their rivalry.

At one point in the third quarter, the teams were a taunt away from an all-out brawl.

The Titans were just a couple yards away from the end zone – the closest they’ve been able to get all game – but Carmel High’s defense was nearly impenetrable. Even Brittany was beginning to get frustrated, but she couldn’t succumb to her emotions too.

At least one person on the team still had to keep a level head.

It was fourth down and her head was telling her to bring out Special Teams and go for a field goal. It would at least get 3 points on the board where they currently had none, but Brittany didn’t want to give up all their hard work that drive just to get a field goal.

It was a tough decision, but she decided they should go for it. Half the team looked at her like she was crazy, the other half just wanted to rip the Camels apart. Even Coach Beiste was in her ear asking if Brittany was sure that’s the route she wanted to take.

Brittany was certain she could get in there. All she needed was for her O-Line to make a small break so that she could dive in. It was a risky call, but she hoped that Carmel High was too focused on her passing game to think she’d ever go for a sneak.

And they were; Brittany was able to push in over the top for the touchdown. Unfortunately though, that would be the only one the Titans would get all game.

The Camels end the Titans winning streak: 23-7.

\\\\\\\\\

When the final whistle was blown, Santana watched Brittany pull off her helmet to reveal a disappointed frown. It had been a rough game by the looks of it, but she was no stranger to how intense games against Carmel High could be. Puck’s been ejected from at least two games for swinging on one of the other guys so that should tell you that it’s never pretty.

Brittany must’ve not known that though and Santana hates how the blonde sulks to the sidelines in defeat. She doesn’t get why _she’s_ beating herself up, Brittany was the only one that scored!

“They look so crushed,” Quinn mumbled as they watched the rest of the team walk off the field battered and bruised. 

“Yeah,” Santana breathed out.

She kept her eyes on Brittany while Coach Beiste pulled her aside to talk. Slowly, the anguish on Brittany’s face started to morph. It wasn’t so much the disappointment and defeat anymore, but instead determination.

Santana wondered what the coach was saying to her that could bring on such change.

“Hope the guys don’t give her a hard time,” Quinn says when she notices Santana watching Brittany.

Santana crinkles her nose at the thought and scoffs, “They should be used to losing to Carmel by now. It’s not her fault they couldn’t get their shit together. She’s the only one that freaking scored anyway!”

Quinn just smirks at how riled up Santana gets and replies, “I guess we’ll just have to see what it’s like on Monday.”

“Yeah. I guess so,” Santana nods and tears her gaze away from Brittany to glance at Quinn, “You still coming over tomorrow? These posters aren’t going to make themselves.”

“I’ll bring my hot glue gun,” Quinn teases before they join the rest of the squad in packing up.

\\\

When it comes to Homecoming Court campaigns, Santana and Quinn are veterans. Quinn’s been doing competitions and pageants like this a lot longer – probably since Quinn was born if she’s being honest – so Santana’s pretty grateful to have learned so much from her over the years. Although they’re best friends, when it comes to Homecoming there’s nothing like a little friendly competition to keep things interesting.

They’re two of the most popular girls in school so the race tends to be pretty close, but Santana wonders if that’ll be the same this time considering how things went down last year. Santana’s reputation and status as one of the HBICs of the school really took a hit and she has had a difficult time moving forward like nothing happened.

It’s hard to forget and she wonders if it’s the same for everyone else too. She’s heard the whispers about her, but Brittany’s arrival has drowned them out. For now. Who knows when they’ll turn a critical eye back on her?

It’s not a concern Santana voices to her best friend though, so it eats away at her and whispers words of doubt while they begin campaign planning.

\\\

Santana and Quinn are in the living room at the Lopez residence with all of their poster-making supplies spread out between them. They’re working away busily with some music in the background when Hector makes his way downstairs.

“Hi girls,” He greets as he slips into his jacket. Santana looks up and notices he’s dressed for work.

“Hi Mr. Lopez,” Quinn greets with a polite smile.

“You’re going to work?” Santana asks looking somewhat dejected. She thought he was off.

“I got called in. Nightshift today,” Hector confirms, “Your mom should be getting home soon though and I think she picked up something for dinner. What are you girls up to?”

Hector comes around the couch to put his shoes on, carefully moving so he doesn’t step on anything important.

“Just Homecoming stuff,” Santana answers with a shrug, trying to mask her disappointment. It’s not like they were meant to hang out or anything, but she has been noticing that he keeps his distance when it’s just them. Maybe she’s looking too far into it, but it seems like he can’t be bothered to be around her while Maribel’s away.

Or maybe he just doesn’t want to and that’s what makes Santana feel even worse. She used to be such a daddy’s girl before last year. She hastes how much everything’s changed.

“Santana and I are campaigning for Homecoming Queen,” Quinn adds when she sees Santana getting wrapped up in her thoughts.

“Ah yes, that’s right! You two always compete against each other,” Hector chuckles, “It’s good that you’re still so involved in extracurriculars, Santana.”

At the sound of her name, Santana looks up and for the first time in awhile she sees a proud smile on her dad’s face. It instantly makes her feel lighter.

“It’ll look good on your college applications,” He adds.

“I know,” Santana answers. It’s hard for her not to feel a little relieved by his encouraging words. She craves his approval, why? She has no idea.

Hector gives her a resolute nod and looks to Quinn, “My girl is going to make a great doctor one day.”

Santana’s once again pleasantly surprised by her dad’s words even if she doesn’t agree with them. _My girl;_ she can’t remember the last time he said that. Maybe he really is starting to see that nothing’s changed, that she’s still the same person she was before it all went to shit?

“Of course,” Quinn smiles back. Santana can tell she’s faking it and she’s grateful for that.

“Well, keep up the good work!” He applauds and pushes to stand, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Santana. Good day, Quinn.”

When Hector leaves for work, Quinn throws a wad of construction paper at Santana. The brunette scoffs and looks up.

“I can’t believe you still haven’t told him you’re undecided,” Quinn says.

Santana looks to her in disbelief, “Are you kidding? That was the longest he’s ever spoken to me without my mom being there. It wasn’t until just recently that he could look me in the eye again. No way I’m going to tell the truth now.”

Quinn purses her lips. She knows very little of Santana’s dynamic with her parents, but like her own she knows most of it is all for show. Families like theirs are usually only concerned with one thing and one thing only: their reputation.

“I’m going to drag this out for as long as I can,” Santana tells Quinn before she’s going back to her arts and crafts.

Quinn just sighs, “That can’t possibly end well.”

Santana doesn’t even look up, “I’ll take my chances.”

\\\

Awhile later, Santana and Quinn are nearly finished with their posters. They’ve gone with three variations of posters that they can hang around school on Monday and they’re pretty pleased with their work.

Like Hector said, Maribel comes home a short while later with take out and there’s enough for Quinn too so the three of them have dinner together on the couch while watching tv – something they wouldn’t dare do if her dad was around.

They’re talking about their Homecoming campaigns with Maribel when Santana accidentally brings up Brittany.

“You’ve never mentioned a _Brittany_ before,” Maribel states as she turns away from the tv to Santana, looking as interested as ever.

Santana wants to kick herself for the slip up, but she does her best to deflect with a shrug, “She’s new to McKinley.”

She doesn’t know why she makes a point to leave out that Brittany’s also the Titans’ new QB and she feels a little disappointed in herself that she does.

“I’ve heard she might run,” Quinn adds with her eyes on the tv screen still.

Santana had a feeling Brittany might get talked into it, but she didn’t think she’d actually do it. She surprisingly has mixed feelings about it. She needs the win to solidify her reputation, but she doubts she’ll stand a chance against Brittany.

There’s also the small chance that Brittany’s only being nominated as a joke. Santana knows how the people of McKinley act and it’s not usually out of kindness.

Santana shakes her head, “No way. She hates the limelight.”

Quinn quirks a brow as she turns to Santana, “What would you know?”

“We talk sometimes,” Santana shrugs again casually. Quinn and Maribel eye her for more information, “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Quinn begins to smirk, “You _talk_ , huh?”

Santana flinches and glances to her mom out of reflex but Maribel’s too swept up in watching tv again to notice.

“We have class together,” Santana explains, “She sits right next to me. We’re bound to talk at some point. Don’t make it weird.”

“I wouldn’t if _you_ didn’t bring her up so often,” Quinn replies. She laughs when Santana rolls her eyes at her, “What? I think it would be nice for you to have another friend besides me.”

“I have other friends,” Santana argues but even she knows that’s a lie.

“You have many _acquaintances_ ,” Quinn corrects, “You don’t consider any of them friends.”

Maribel chimes in next now that the show’s on commercial, “I wouldn’t mind you making another friend, mija. You can never have too many.”

Santana fights another eye roll because of course her mom would say that. Santana doesn’t say anything in response – she doesn’t know how to tell her that being friends with another girl isn’t as easy as it use to be, not to mention that girl being Brittany.

She doubts Maribel would understand, so Santana just goes back to watching tv until her mom excuses herself for the night.

\\\

It’s not until Quinn’s sure that they’re alone that she brings up the topic again.

“I just think you two would really hit it off,” Quinn reasons.

“So we’re _not_ talking about friendship anymore?” Santana asks sarcastically.

“I mean, it could start off that way?” Quinn shrugs, “Like you said, you already share a class together. Plus I’ve seen you two talk by your lockers. Not to mention the way I witnessed you check her out the other day in the hall.”

Santana whirls on Quinn with wide eyes, “You didn’t witness shit.”

“I disagree.”

“I don’t know how when _you_ were too busy checking out Boy Chang.”

Quinn’s jaw drops, “I-I wasn’t.”

Santana smirks upon seeing the blonde’s cheeks flush, “Sure Q. How is Mike anyway? You two done side-stepping around the obvious yet?”

“Don’t try to deflect,” Quinn says pointedly, “This isn’t about me. We’re talking about you.”

Santana just grumbles at her best friend’s persistence. She’s starting to feel like the walls are closing in on her or something, “There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Uh yeah there is. Brittany’s perf – “

“Can you stop?” Santana finally insists.

Quinn looks taken aback but she doesn’t say anything. Santana just feels like she’s about to crumble apart. She hates that feeling, it seemed like she was stuck in it for all of last year. So when she feels it creeping in again, it puts her on edge.

“I’m not ready for that,” Santana admits softly. Her gaze averts to her hands wringing themselves out in her lap, “She’s too…I don’t know. I just can’t. I can’t do it yet, okay?”

Quinn softens as she watches Santana shrink in on herself. She scoots closer to her, “Baby steps at least? All joking aside, I really do think she’d be good for you. I mean, how many other people at this school can you relate to? There’s Kurt, but he doesn’t really count. Does he?”

Santana knows she means because he’s a guy and agrees, “No, I guess he doesn’t.”

“And then there’s Berry…” Quinn jokes, “But I doubt you’re going to want to make nice with her after all of these years.”

Santana cringes, “Definitely not. She’d probably make me sing a homoerotic song with her or some bullshit that would have me running back in the closet.”

“Exactly. So I think you should try it with Brittany,” Quinn suggests lightly, “She seems sweet, relatively normal. I can see the appeal, you know? There’s something about her, it’s refreshing. She isn’t like everyone else in this town.”

Santana can’t help but smile.

“You’re right,” Santana says, “She’s better.”

“So you’re gonna try?” Quinn questions.

Santana fakes an eye-roll, “Maybe but _don’t_ meddle, alright? I know how you thrive off of other people’s drama.”

Quinn doesn’t even mind the jab and goes to pull Santana in for a tight hug. Santana pretends she hates it, but after so many years of friendship they both know she doesn’t.

\\\\\\\\\

By Monday, Brittany has somewhat prepared herself for the criticism she’s bound to hear about Friday night’s game. Coach Beiste’s encouraging words after the game really helped break up the haze of disappointment, but there was something that stood out to her during their short talk.

_“They’re going to give you a lot of grief after this. A loss to Carmel is always a hard pill to swallow, but stand tall. Don’t let these guys walk all over you,” Coach Beiste said, “You’re a great Team Captain, Pierce. You’ve helped improve the team so much already, keep that up. Set the example for these guys, it’s a good one to follow.”_

She spent the entire weekend trying to get right with the loss and focus on how she was personally going to improve moving forward. She wanted to set the right kind of example for the guys, she wanted to leave McKinley better than she found it.

Still, no matter what kind of preparations she did, that nervous feeling still lingered.

There was tension everywhere: between the Titans and Carmel High, the Titans and the Hockey guys, the Titans and Brittany. Then she has Coach Beiste in her ear basically saying she needs to girl up if she wants to continue gaining the team’s respect.

It was a lot for Brittany to deal with.

She knew that being Team Captain meant that she had additional responsibilities, but she had very little experience when it came to all of this casual hatred. Sure, at her old school there were other teams that they wanted to beat but it wasn’t ever this intense.

But, Brittany loves a challenge so she’s determined to keep at this until she gets it. Moving forward, she was more determined than ever to win the next time the Titans and the Camels crossed paths.

So when Brittany arrives at school, she holds her head high and braces herself for whatever may come.

\\\

Surprisingly, no one approaches Brittany about the loss. In fact, everyone’s mostly swept up in the excitement of the first day of Spirit Week – which Brittany totally forgot about. Dressed in her jeans and blouse, Brittany sticks out like a sore thumb in a sea of students still in their pajamas.

But at least the weird looks are because of her attire and not about the game. She thinks she can handle that and heads over to her locker. There, she finds Santana applying lip gloss in the tiny mirror she has stuck to the inside of her locker door.

“Hey,” Brittany greets as she starts to put in her combo.

Santana glances at her through the corner of her mirror and spins. Her greeting dies when she sees what the blonde is wearing, “Didn’t know you were the type that slept in jeans, Pierce.”

Brittany smirks at the teasing tone, “Didn’t know you kept that uniform on all hours of the day either.”

“I don’t,” Santana answers in a tone Brittany isn’t familiar with. It has her peeking around her locker door to see if she can read what it might mean instead, but Santana’s expression changes to one of annoyance, “Coach doesn’t let the Cheerios participate in Pajama Day.”

Brittany frowns, “Why not? Aren’t you guys meant to be the most enthusiastic about it all?”

“I’m sure there’s some batshit crazy reason that makes zero sense,” Santana shrugs as she closes her locker, “Anyway, I can’t be late today so I’ll see you later.”

“Sure,” Brittany smiles, “I’ll see you later.”

When Santana sends a glance over her shoulder, Brittany thinks that maybe today will be a good one after all.

\\\

Brittany makes it to the end of the school day without a single incident.

No random interviews from JBI, the Hockey guys don’t show their faces, and the guys on the football team leave her alone at lunch. It’s oddly normal for a Monday after a loss, but Brittany doesn’t complain.

It’s not until after football practice that things start to change.

“I’ve noticed you don’t have any posters up,” Kurt says. Coach Beiste has just dismissed the team after a post-practice huddle.

“Posters for what?” Brittany wonders as she watches Coach Beiste and her assistant head for their office. She has a feeling that she knows what Kurt’s hinting at, but she plays coy.

“For Homecoming, obviously,” Kurt chuckles, “You’re a shoe in.”

Brittany shakes her head, “Yeah. I don’t really care about that stuff.”

Kurt looks shocked as he trails after Brittany towards the water station, “Well you should, it’s like on of the two biggest events at McKinley. The other being Prom, of course, but that’s months away.”

Brittany sips her water slowly before shaking her head again, “I just don’t have the time.”

“What if I made up something for you?”

Brittany’s surprised by his persistence, “Oh no, you don’t have to.”

“I _want_ to,” Kurt offered. He glanced around at the guys grabbing water too and pulled Brittany to move further away from them, “I really admire you.”

Brittany’s flattered, but she stays silent as she crumples the paper cup and tosses in the trash before moving to get her duffle bag from the sideline.

“It’s usually a popularity contests between the Cheerios and jocks, but I think it would be a nice change to have someone like you win,” Kurt continues, “You’re the kind of representation people like us need.”

Brittany glances up, “ _People like us_?”

“You know…” Kurt nods to her keychain.

Suddenly the dots are connecting for Brittany and she lets out a long sigh, “You know Kurt, I’m a lot more than my sexuality.”

“I know that,” Kurt replies and he looks genuine about it, “I know, but there are people in this school that are still afraid to be themselves and you’re obviously not like that. You just live in your truth and it’s truly inspiring. I didn’t think Lima would see the day to be honest, but you came in like a breath of fresh air.”

Again, Brittany feels her cheeks heating up at the compliment. She doesn’t see herself in the same light at all. She’s just Brittany. She goes through day treating people with kindness and tries to do what she thinks is right just like anyone else. She really isn’t that much different.

“I don’t know what it was like at your old school, but we’re just not there yet. People are as ignorant as ever here,” Kurt tells her and Brittany can immediately sense the frustration and hurt. He tries to mask it though, “Just the other day, Karofsky slushied me for wearing an ascot.”

Brittany stiffened, “He did what?” 

Kurt eyed Brittany’s confusion and matched it, “Slushied me? It was actually pretty upsetting, that ascot was designer and the red dye completely ruined it.”

Brittany was still hung up on the fact that Kurt had a slushie thrown at him. She stood, her brows furrowing. She started to feel hot all over as Kurt continued to talk.

“Is that not something that happens where you came from?” He asks. Brittany shakes her head, “It happens all the time here. Most of the guys on the team have done it aside from like Sam, Mike and Matt.”

“Are you serious?” Brittany realizes the feeling is anger and it starts to consume her.

Kurt looks uncertain, “Yeah? They usually go after people they consider _beneath_ them but I think it really just depends on their mood that day. If you even look at someone on the team wrong, you’re probably getting slushied. It’s happened to me _so_ many times. Karofsky’s probably the worst one.”

“Fuck that,” Brittany snaps and storms straight over to Dave. He’s mingling with Azimio and some of the other guys on her O-Line when Brittany gives him a shove without thinking, “Hey!”

He barely moves but she’s gained everyone’s attention now and they all rush over.

“Woah!” The guys around him holler. Brittany doesn’t pay them any attention, she just keeps her eyes narrowed.

Karofsky looks her up and down, “What’s got your panties in a knot?”

“Must be a mood swing,” Azimio laughs.

Brittany ignores him, “Actually it’s the fact that my Right Guard thinks it okay to bully people.”

Dave’s brows shoot up, “What now?”

“Britt,” Kurt pleads from behind her, “Don’t. It’s fine.”

“No Kurt, it isn’t fine,” Brittany says firmly before she’s glaring at Dave, “It’s fucking ridiculous.” She looks around at the guys that have gathered around and targets each of them, “What’s wrong with you people? Kurt is your teammate!”

She sees Mike and Sam exchange a confused glance along with Finn. Puck’s smirking and Matt just stares blankly at the others around him. Everyone’s trying to fill in the blanks here. 

“I’ve never met so many who are just blatantly ignorant,” Brittany snaps. She’s so fired up now, “It shouldn’t matter what anyone’s labels are, if they’re on this team you’re meant to have their back. That’s just common sense, human decency!”

Azimio scoffs, “Listen, he’s – “

“No, _you_ listen,” Brittany growls as she steps up to him and pokes at his chest. She turns her glare onto everyone else, “You _all_ listen. Kurt made it on this team – same as everyone else here – and you’ll treat him with some respect!”

“Is this about the slushies?” Finn mumbles through his dopey confusion.

Brittany looks at him in disbelief before turning to Mike, “How long has this been a thing?”

Mike goes to answer but Finn cuts him off, “Forever.”

“Slushie facials are like tradition,” Puck adds. He still has on that cocky smirk, “It’s how we uphold our badass reps.” He goes to high five the guy next to him while others on the team nod in agreement.

Brittany frowns at him – at them all, “Well not anymore. There’s nothing _badass_ about being an asshole.”

Puck’s smirk drops; the rest of the team looks surprised by Brittany words too.

“It’s mean, it’s bullying and I’m not going to stand for it as long as I’m QB,” She says firmly.

“But that’s how it has always been,” Finn challenges, “You can’t just go changing tradition just because _you_ don’t like it.”

Brittany wants to laugh. She wants to smack him upside the head and shake some sense into him but she’s not the violent type – not usually. If anything, she’s disappointed that someone so deluded has been in charge of leading a team for so long.

“Watch me,” Brittany threatens. She stands tall and keeps her eyes narrowed on him, “Just because something’s always been done one way doesn’t make it right. I’m not going to lead a team full of close-minded Neanderthals to a Championship victory.”

Puck scoffs, “You really want to talk about _victories_ after the last game?”

Brittany quirks a brow, “Tell me, Puckerman, who was it again that put a touchdown on the board? The only one of the entire game?”

She can hear Sam snickering from beside her at the sight of Puck looking dumbfounded.

“That’s what I thought,” Brittany smirks before she’s eyeing everyone else again, “I’m glad we lost, maybe it’ll knock you all off your high horses.” She can see the eye rolls she gets for that comment but she stands her ground, “There’s nothing worse than an overly-confident team and that’s exactly what was happening here. You all let it get to your heads and it cost us the game.”

“That’s bullshit,” Karofsky waves off, “What would she know?”

“A lot, apparently,” Brittany argues, “ _I’ve_ won a Championship title already. Hell, I’ve won two!”

“Shit, really?” Matt’s impressed, but Azimio shoves at him to shut up.

“Yeah, so this is nothing new to me,” Brittany adds, “But for all of you – seniors without a single playoff appearance let alone a victory – you’re going to want to straighten up if you want me to stay.”

“I can’t believe we’re letting a girl lead us,” Azimio complains, “What is the world coming to?”

Sam looks puzzled, “Dude. Coach Beiste is a girl.”

“Shut up, Evans,” Karofsky orders, “You know what he meant.”

“This _girl_ doesn’t have to lead you,” Brittany replies as she steps up to Azimio, “I’m more than happy to hand all of this over to Finn, you can let _him_ be in charge again. I guarantee you that he’s not taking this team to the top, but if you’re fine being losers then that’s cool.”

Half of the team glance to Finn and it looks like they can’t help but to agree with Brittany. He’s had three years to prove himself and he’s gotten nowhere. Brittany broke the losing streak in her very first appearance as a Titan and it wasn’t even a regular season game yet, so what does that say?

“No more slushie facials or whatever you call it. Like I said, I’m not going to lead a team of close-minded bullies to the Championship game. You’re free to go if you don’t like that decision,” Brittany tells them without any room for argument then looks directly at Karofsky and Azimio, “I’m sure Coach wouldn’t mind losing the dead weight. So, who wants to go?”

Azimio rolls his eyes but relents, “Nah. I’m staying, I want to win.”

Karofsky looks furious still, but he relents as well with just a single nod to show Brittany he agrees with Azimio. The rest of the team nod too.

“Great,” Brittany gives the team a proud smile, “Glad we’re all on the same page now. See you tomorrow for practice.”

She walks off the field without another word while the team is still reeling behind her.

\\\

Tuesday morning starts off just the same as the morning before except this time she sees that the hallways have been covered in Homecoming Court campaign posters. Or maybe she was too lost in her thoughts yesterday to notice. The only people Brittany recognizes though are: Santana, Quinn and that guy Rick.

Brittany rolls her eyes at the last one; who would ever vote for that dickhead?

When Brittany gets to her locker, she finds that she has beaten Santana this time around. She’s busy trying to organize her books in her bag when she sees crisp white tennis shoes appear next to her.

“Nice shirt,” Santana compliments, “See you finally decided to participate and show some school spirit.”

Brittany blushes but tries to recover by giving back a little sarcasm, “Tie Dye Tuesday? How could I resist? It’s _so_ original.”

Santana rolls her eyes though she smiles brightly. Brittany grins too and takes in the tie dye shirt Santana has on made up of red and black. Her eyes dip lower to find that Santana’s still wearing her Cheerios skirt underneath and it has her shaking her head.

“You really wear that uniform 24/7,” Brittany notes with a chuckle, “Do you ever take it off?”

“Nope,” Santana jokes, “It’s like a second skin to me now.”

“Gross,” Brittany scrunches her nose at the image before changing the subject, “I like your Homecoming Court posters by the way.”

“Thanks,” Santana smiles, “Nominations aren’t officially out yet, but Quinn and I are always on the ballot. Might as well get a head start.”

Brittany nods, “Well you’ve got my vote.”

“So I heard you threatened the entire football team yesterday,” Santana says instead of thanking her again.

Brittany bites her lip but she’s glad the locker door hides her from Santana for the moment, “News really does travel fast around here.”

“Not much usually happens,” Santana replies, “You’re really shaking things up.”

“Yeah, well…” Brittany sighs as she closes her locker, “It wasn’t really a threat. I just don’t like bullies.”

“I should watch out then,” Santana says as she closes her locker too. The way she’s smirking at Brittany has the blonde feeling drawn in.

“Why?” Brittany finds herself asking, “Are you a bully?”

“That’s what they say,” Santana lifts her shoulder casually before she’s batting her long lashes up at Brittany, “You gonna threaten me too?”

Brittany finds herself laughing; she can’t imagine threatening Santana.

“I don’t think I need to,” Brittany tells her behind a small smile, “You’re smart; you know what’s right and what isn’t.”

Santana just tilts her head to the side and stares. Her expression is hard to read, but there’s a hint of a smile there so Brittany knows she hasn’t crossed a line or said something wrong.

“I’ll see you later, Pierce,” Santana says just as the bell rings.

And just like always, Brittany nods and watches Santana disappear down the hall – a sea of students parting just for her.

\\\

By the end of the day, Brittany sits next to Santana in their final class listening to the afternoon announcements. It’s almost time for them to announce the nominations for Homecoming Court and Brittany can just feel the anticipation radiating off of Santana.

She looks a little nervous too which confuses Brittany. Earlier Santana said that she and Quinn always get nominated; why would she be worried now?

Still, Brittany doodles away in her notebook while Coach Sylvester starts to read off the names.

 _“Votes will be counted on the night of the Homecoming Dance by a team of respected officials so don’t even think about trying to vote twice. All illegal ballots will be tossed,”_ Coach Sylvester explains stiffly, _“Here are the nominations for Homecoming Queen: Missy Gunderson, Quinn Fabray and Santana Lopez.”_

Brittany glances to her side to see the proud smile Santana tries to keep hidden.

“Congrats,” Brittany whispers to her.

“Thanks,” Santana whispers back before turning to face the board again, “Hopefully guys from the Titans get nominated too. No way I’m going with a Puck Head.”

Brittany nods; if anyone on the team is worthy enough to be nominated she’d pick Mike or Sam or Kurt but that might be a little bias since they’re her friends.

 _“No surprises there,”_ Coach Sylvester grumbles, _“And finally the nominations for Homecoming King are as follows: Rick Nelson, Scott Cooper and Brittany S. Pierce…wait, how does that work?”_

Brittany’s eyes go wide upon hearing her name – after the loss the Titans sustained on Friday, after her hard stance on slushie facials, after her lack of self-promotion…she still gets nominated? It doesn’t make any sense.

She doesn’t even hear the rest of the announcements – she’s _that_ surprised.

“This has got to be a mistake,” Brittany murmurs out of disbelief.

“Perks of being the quarterback,” Santana says, “You were bound to get roped into something.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - So going back to weekly updates starting now! SUPER grateful for all the luv you're showing this story. It's really coming in handy for when I sit down to write another chapter. You're awesome, thank you!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Posting early today since the Steelers game has been postponed so many times I've lost all concept of time LOL. Anyway, I get a real kick out of everyone that mentions they're a Steelers fan in their reviews. Wave that Terrible Towel for me too (I left mine in American, such a rookie mistake). 
> 
> Also Happy late Thanksgiving, hope everyone had a safe holiday with lots of laughs.

It’s Wednesday morning and Brittany’s walking with Kurt to their first class of the day when McKinley High’s mascot comes running down the hall at them. They barely get out of his way in time as he continues whooping down the hallway. Students around cheer but Brittany just stares blankly, trying to understand what that was all about.

“That guy does his _Spirit Run_ every year around this time,” Kurt explains.

“Spirit Run?”

“Yeah. It’s really just an excuse for him to run around the halls like a crazy person,” Kurt says, “You’ll probably see it again at least three more times this week.”

“You guys really go all out here,” Brittany mentions as she and Kurt begin to walk again without fear of getting trampled.

“Told you,” Kurt shrugs, “Homecoming is one of McKinley’s biggest events.”

“Small towns are so weird,” Brittany chuckles.

“They are, but I do love a good theme,” Kurt replies then gasps as he turns to her, “Have you given any thought to who you’ll be going with?”

Brittany laughs a little louder, but then stifles it when she sees Kurt look at her in confusion.

“I wasn’t going to ask anyone,” She says with a shrug.

Kurt’s baffled and stops mid-step, “What? Why not?”

“I don’t really have anyone in mind,” Brittany answers simply, “Why? What’s the issue?”

“You have to have an escort, Britt,” Kurt urges, “You’re apart of the Homecoming Court now, you can’t just attend the dance alone.”

Brittany rolls her eyes at how serious he’s making it all sound, “Why not? What’s going to happen to me if I don’t go with anyone?”

Kurt stammers, “Uh…nothing I guess but it’s not something people usually do. You’re pretty popular, Britt, why don’t you use that to your advantage like everyone else here? I’m sure you’d find a date easily if you asked around.”

“Okay fine,” Brittany smirks, “Do _you_ want to go with me?”

Kurt gives her a look, “I’m flattered but I already agreed to go with a group from Glee Club.”

“Well look at that. I tried,” Brittany fakes defeat, “Guess I’ll be going alone then.”

“But –“

“I’ll be fine, Kurt. You said it yourself, nothing will happen to me if I go alone,” Brittany chuckles as she enters the classroom.

Kurt just sighs and follows after Brittany.

\\\

The day goes on as usual for Brittany until she arrives to her Home Room class for third bell. It’s one of her favorite parts of the day; half of the bell is spent on studying and _using your time wisely_ before everyone’s released for lunch. It’s kind of her time to wind down from all the info-intake, but sometimes she tries to get a jump on homework so she doesn’t have to do much after practice.

It’s also the class before her final one of the day which she gets to spend with Santana.

She has barely walked through the door when her teacher hands her a note saying she’s needed in Ms. Pillsbury’s office. She recognizes the name from when Santana mentioned her awhile ago, but Brittany frowns as she looks over the note.

“Am I going to miss lunch?” She asks but the teacher just shrugs and tells her to get going.

She doesn’t actually know where the office is so she ends up wandering around downstairs until another teacher spots her for looking lost.

“Hey, where are you supposed to be?” They demand.

Brittany just hands over the note like it’s a hall pass, “I’m not sure where her office is.”

She smiles innocently and it’s enough to have the teacher relaxing. Thankfully they offer to lead the way to where she needs to be without any further questions.

When she finally gets to the office, she knocks gently at the glass. There’s a red-haired woman sitting daintily behind a desk polishing off her stapler with a wet wipe. Kind of odd, but Brittany doesn’t question it as a pleasant smile fills the woman’s face upon seeing her standing there.

“Brittany, hi! Please come in,” She says and motions for the blonde to have a seat, “I’m Ms. Pillsbury, I’ll be your designated guidance counselor and college advisor.”

“Hi,” Brittany nods behind a polite smile as she goes to sit, “Am I in trouble or something?”

“No, no. Of course not,” Ms. Pillsbury assures her.

Brittany’s only a little relieved by that.

“I’ve been trying to make my rounds in meeting with all the Seniors just to make sure that everyone’s on track with deadlines for college applications,” She explains, “I have a little information on you from your old school, but I just wanted to check in and introduce myself properly since you’re new here. How are you finding McKinley so far?”

“It’s nice,” Brittany answers softly.

She doesn’t know what it is about the guidance counselor’s office that makes her feel nervous. Maybe because she spent so much time in it at the beginning of the year? She was always being checked on because of her ailing dad, it always made her feel so uneasy.

“I see you’ve been making quite the splash with the Titans,” Ms. Pillsbury says kindly, “It’s great to see a new student getting so involved. I’m sure the team is happy you’re here.”

“Yeah,” Brittany shrugs; she’s not exactly sure how to answer that especially after taking her stance on slushie facials. They work better as a team on the field but there’s still a little tension.

“So plans for college,” Ms. Pillsbury continues once she sees she’s not going to get anything else out of Brittany.

Brittany shifts uncomfortably in her seat, her hands tightening around the spine of her binder. Talking about her future like this always puts her on edge for some reason. She knows her parents – mostly her dad – always wanted her to go to college after high school, so she wants to honor that. She wants it for herself too, but it’s kind of overwhelming sometimes, especially when she feels like sports are the only thing she’s good at.

That’s not true – she’s a whizz in math and science – but does she really want to make a career out of it? She has no idea, it’s probably a good idea that she figure that out soon though.

All she knows is that GPAs are important and hers isn’t the best it could be. Her grades really took a hit when her dad passed away, but she was able to finish her Junior year relatively strong considering everything that happened. Maybe she’ll be okay?

“It says here that you’ve already taken the SATs twice,” Ms. Pillsbury notes, “Your scores are very good.”

Brittany nods again, “Yes, I sat the exam just before I moved here. I figured that I would be too focused on getting adjusted to a new school to study again.”

“That’s smart,” Ms. Pillsbury smiles, “You’re ahead of many Seniors here, it’s nice to see someone taking the initiative.”

“Yeah,” Brittany just shrugs, “I’m hoping that I can get a scholarship for playing football or something. I know it’s kind of a long shot for someone like me. It’s super rare that a female football player gets a scholarship.”

“But it isn’t impossible, I think that’s the important part so don’t doubt yourself. You could very well get a scholarship for your talents on the field,” Ms. Pillsbury assures her, “It says in your file that you’ve had scouts attend your games at your old school: one for the Florida State and another for Auburn. That’s really impressive, Brittany.”

“Thank you,” Brittany blushes. She remembers those game and how nerve wracking it was for her knowing that a win could determine her future – could determine if she were getting into a good school or not.

“I know Coach Beiste is in contact with a few recruiters and college coaches that are more local if that interests you?” Ms. Pillsbury suggests, “Maybe you’ll have some luck there as well? I know she’s quite close to the coaches at Louisville and Ohio State which are both on your list here.”

“That would be so cool, ” Brittany perks up at the prospect.

Now that they’ve moved, she kind of wants to stay close to home if she can. Maybe she’ll be able to get on Ohio State’s radar or maybe Notre Dame? It has been a crazy dream of hers to play college football at one of the top schools in the country, but she doesn’t know if she’s being realistic.

“Very cool,” Ms. Pillsbury smiles, “Well, I don’t want to take up too much of your time during your study hour so if you ever have any questions or just want to come by for a chat, I’m always here.”

“Thanks Ms. Pillsbury,” Brittany grins before heading back to class. It was a random meeting, but Brittany feels surprisingly lighter after speaking with her – like there was this reassurance she didn’t know she needed. It was completely different from the visits that she’s used to.

\\\\\\\\\

Although Spirit Week really seems like five days worth of nonsense, there is still the usual schoolwork and practice that Santana needs to focus on too. So after Wednesday’s Cheerios practice, Santana and Quinn head to the Lima Bean to get some homework done before they fall too far behind.

This year, they only have one class together but unfortunately that’s the only class that they’re caught up on. Instead, they grab a circular table by the window and work on their own things in a comfortable silence. Before either of them knows it, they’ve been there for two hours already and have gone through multiple coffees each – Santana’s on her third, Quinn has switched to tea.

Quinn sits back and goes to stretch a moment later, “I think I’m done for the day.”

Santana blinks her weary eyes, “Same. This bookwork on U.S. Government is melting my brain. Let’s pack up and – “

“Wait,” Quinn whispers and holds out her hand to stop Santana, “Look who’s here.”

When Santana follows Quinn’s line of view she instantly looks away at who’s there talking to the barista.

“We never see her here,” Santana comments disbelievingly.

“Right?” Quinn starts to smirk, “This is perfect.”

Since their talk over the weekend, Quinn’s been in Santana’s ear about her progress in becoming friends with Brittany despite Santana telling her to butt out. She’s been trying to explain that she’s not going to all of a sudden ask her over for a sleepover so they can braid each other’s hair and make friendship bracelets. It takes time, especially for Santana considering she’s not exactly the best at making new friends.

And that’s kind of where Quinn comes in.

“I swear to God, Fabray, if you do anything embarrassing I’m gonna – “

“Hey Brittany!” Quinn calls out sweetly, loud enough so that Brittany – and anyone else in earshot – can hear.

Santana goes ten shades redder and sinks low in her chair, “I hate you so much.”

“What?” Quinn questions innocently, “Friends say _hi_ to other friends when they’re out in public so don’t be rude.”

Santana lets out a sarcastic laugh, “Bullshit. You and I both know what you’re up to.”

“I’m not up to anything. Just be normal,” Quinn whispers out quickly, “She’s coming over.”

 _Be normal,_ Santana thinks as she stifles another laugh. How can she be normal when Quinn is yelling out this girl’s name from across the café like _they’re_ best friends? They’ve talked maybe twice and it wasn’t much of a conversation but rather just greetings exchanged.

It’s like Quinn’s just trying to embarrass the crap out of her.

Santana tries to keep a straight face in hopes that the blush fades soon. Hopefully her tan complexion is enough to mask her embarrassment.

“Hey guys,” Brittany greets casually, “How’s it going?”

Quinn looks to Santana to see if she’ll answer. She rolls her eyes when she sees that Santana’s just giving her a death glare instead.

“Going well,” Quinn replies first, “Did you just get out of practice?”

Brittany sighs tiredly and goes to brush her hair behind her ear, “Yeah. Very tiring, but that’s why I’m here. I’m so close to a nap but I still have a ton of homework to do by tomorrow. Looks like you guys do too.”

Santana remains weirdly silent so Quinn gives her a subtle kick from under the table, “ _So_ much, but we’ve just finished up. Santana and I were actually just talking about tomorrow’s Spirit Day. Right, Santana?”

Santana gives Quinn one last narrow of her eyes before she’s putting on a smile, “Right, Quinn.”

“What is it again?” Brittany asks as she looks to the brunette with her pretty blue eyes.

Santana’s breath catches before she croaks out, “Crazy Hair Day.”

“That’s right,” Brittany chuckles before she teases, “Another super original one. Have you got any ideas for what you’ll do?”

Santana feels a little more at ease, “I’m trying to talk Quinn into dying her hair pink.”

Brittany’s brows shoot up as she looks to Quinn, “Awesome!”

“I’ll probably just wear mine down,” Santana adds which has Quinn rolling her eyes.

“Why do _I_ have to dye my hair when all you’re doing is wearing yours down?” Quinn huffs.

“Because,” Santana retorts, “No way I’m doing anything crazy to all of this. Do you know how much these extensions cost?”

Brittany laughs at their dynamic, “I mean, it totally works! You’d look so different without your usual high pony. I can’t wait to see.”

Quinn sends a stealthy glance over in Santana’s direction. Santana makes a point not to look.

“What about you?” Santana asks Brittany, “What are you going to do differently?”

“I don’t know,” Brittany shrugs, “I probably won’t comb it or something. Although, the hair dye does sound pretty cool.”

Santana laughs at Quinn’s eye-roll just as the barista calls out Brittany’s name.

“Oh! That’s me,” Brittany jumps, “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

Santana and Quinn say their goodbyes, but once she’s out of hearing range Quinn practically lunges across the table in excitement.

“She was flirting with you,” Quinn points out around a smirk.

Santana looks at her in disbelief, “Where the hell did you see _flirting_ in all of that? Besides, wasn’t the point of all that to _make a friend_?”

“Come on,” Quinn gives her a look, “It was pretty obvious.”

“You’re delusional,” Santana chuckles.

“And _you’re_ still date-less,” Quinn then sits up straighter, “Wait. I have an idea.”

“I already know what you’re going to say,” Santana shakes her head, “It’s a no. It’s a _hell_ no.”

“You didn’t even give me a chance to state my case.”

“Yeah, because it’s bound to be ridiculous,” Santana replies. She glances over in Brittany’s direction as the blonde goes to sit at a table by herself. Santana pushes away that little feeling of hope before she’s turning back to Quinn, “She and I barely talk outside of class. It would be so weird and awkward, she’d never agree to it. Not to mention that it would be completely predictable.”

“Predictable?”

“Well yeah,” Santana answers like its obvious, “The only two girls nominated that are also – _you know_ – and they just so happen to be going together? No. I’m not going to give this school any more reason to talk shit. I’m not falling for that trap.”

Quinn rolls her eyes, “What are you talking about? What trap?”

“You don’t think this is weird?” Santana questions, “A _girl_ being nominated for King? That’s never happened before. Is it not a red flag for you?”

Quinn sits back again in her chair and sighs, “Honestly Santana, I don’t know what it is. I don’t know if she’s genuinely been nominated or if it’s something else. I don’t think we’re gonna find out until Saturday.”

Santana sighs too, “I just don’t want her to get dragged into all my crap, you know? I don’t want them to mess with her like they’ve messed with me.”

“Yeah,” Quinn nods sadly, “I know but maybe it’s different this time? Brittany’s…she’s a lovely person and really tallented. Who knows, maybe that’s why she’s being nominated? Maybe her being an awesome quarterback and leading the Titans to so many wins has distracted people? Maybe this is real? I don’t know.”

Santana bites her lip. She wishes she could be that optimistic, but she’s been burned too many times. It’s hard for her to see the good anymore. She just hopes for Brittany’s sake that Quinn’s right this time.

“But,” Quinn adds, “What I _do_ know is that Cheerios don’t go to these things by themselves – especially ones that are nominated.”

Santana tenses her jaw. She hates all the social rules she has to follow just because of her status. She hates how popularity is everything in place like Lima. For once, she just wants to be herself but everyone makes it so damn difficult.

Still, she has her obligations.

“If you can’t go with Brittany,” Quinn starts, “Who will you go with?”

She glances one last time at Brittany sitting alone studying before she finally answers, “I’ll find someone.”

\\\

And Santana tries valiantly to do so.

Once she gets home from the Lima Bean, Santana lies on her bed and scrolls through her contacts but nothing jumps out at her. Actually, it’s not the fact that no one jumps out – it’s the fact that she can’t bring herself to stoop down to that level again and go with a guy.

She can’t pretend anymore, no matter how bad she wants to avoid it all and go back to how things were a couple years ago where all she had to do was hide behind some guy in order to avoid how she truly felt. No one questioned her, no one doubted if any of it was genuine.

If she were to go with one of the many guys listed in her contacts, she would be doing just that – reverting. She feels guilty just thinking about it, but she knows it would be easier going back on what was said about her rather than actually living up to it.

Honestly, she doesn’t know which is scarier: pretending to be someone she isn’t again or finally owning up to who she really is. She just hates hearing the _I knew it_ or _I told you_ ; it makes her feel so see-through, vulnerable. She can’t have that, she can’t have people at this school thinking they know her when they really don’t, but what is she supposed to do?

Continue to hide from the truth? Hope that everyone forgets?

Santana continues to scroll through her phone hoping that maybe she’ll find the answer to all her troubles amongst the boys’ names.

She doubts she will and that’s the biggest problem of all.

\\\\\\\\\

The next day, Brittany gets home a little earlier from football practice to find her mom helping Pete with his homework in the dining room. He instantly lights up when she enters the room and rushes over to hug her hips.

“Hey Petey,” Brittany chuckles, “You doing homework?”

“He just finished up,” Whitney smiles lovingly at the pair, “Got every question right.”

“No way!” Brittany gasp and goes for a low-five, “Mr. Smarty Pants in the building!”

Pete gives her an enthusiastic slap to her palm, “Should be rewarded with ice cream, right?”

Brittany’s brows rise and they both look over to their mom as she mimics him, “Right?”

Whitney just laughs, “Don’t you need to shower or something, Britt?”

“Showered at school,” She grins triumphantly.

“You can do that?” Pete looks up at her in awe.

“Totally.”

“Well,” Whitney sighs, “Let’s go then! Tonight’s the Bonfire, isn’t it?”

Brittany nodded as she put down her bag in its usual place by the front door, “Yeah, but it’s not until later. I’ve got time for an ice cream run.”

“Can I go to the bonfire too?” Pete asks as they all make their way outside to the car.

“Mom said no, remember?” Brittany tells him gently as he climbs into his seat, “It’ll be too late for you.”

“Bummer,” He frowns. Brittany gets in the passenger side and Whitney goes to start the car when he asks, “Will Santana be there?”

Brittany’s a little surprised that he remembered her name but answers anyway, “Yeah, probably. Why?”

Pete doesn’t answer for awhile, “Just wondering. She’s nice.”

Brittany nods, “Yeah. I think so too.”

She goes to flip though the radio stations, but Santana’s mention reminds her of how she felt seeing the Co-Captain for the first time that morning.

Like they discussed at the Lima Bean, Santana had worn her hair down. Brittany almost didn’t recognize her, she looked that different. More relaxed maybe? Who knows, but Brittany caught herself staring several times which would’ve been embarrassing if Santana noticed. Her hair was a lot longer than Brittany thought and any time Santana would brush it behind her ear or twirl the tips of it with her fingers, Brittany could smell the scent of her shampoo wafting off of her.

It was super distracting.

That scent was committed to Britany’s memory, because that scent was now _Santana_. Whenever she caught a whiff of it, Santana’s smiling face popped up in her head. As much as she thought that was really cool, it kind of worried her because she knew what was starting to develop and she couldn’t have that.

Crushes are meant to be on people she might actually have a chance with. Not pretty, straight Cheerleaders who could probably get anyone they wanted in the entire school.

“So are you two going together?” Whitney wonders and Brittany’s eyes nearly bug out at the question, more importantly how casual it sounded.

 _Is she reading my thoughts?_ Brittany wonders.

Pete pipes in next, “Yeah, are you?”

Honestly, Brittany never really considered Santana as an option. The girl is probably the hardest person to read and that’s coming from Brittany who is excellent at reading people…on the football field.

If Santana’s somewhere on the spectrum, it would be news to Brittany.

“Uh…no,” Brittany finally answers, “I doubt she’d want to go with me. I bet she has so many guys lining up to be her date though, she’s very popular.”

“How do you know she won’t want to go with you instead then?” Pete wonders innocently, “Maybe she’s tired of going with boys?”

That has Brittany chuckling, “Maybe but I’ll probably just go by myself and meet up with my friends. I don’t mind not having a date, just means I can dance with everyone else’s.”

They seem happy with that answer so the rest of the car ride is quiet aside from Pete singing along with the radio. Brittany just stares out the window wondering if her brother might be on to something about Santana though.

It’s probably a shot in the dark, but the longer she stews on it the more curious she becomes.

\\\

Brittany’s always loved Bonfires; she likes the way the smoke lingers on her, the feel of the heat of the flames on her cheeks, how the glow of the fire has this sort of hypnotic effect. She really gets the expression _a moth to a flame_ because she can _so_ relate to the way it pulls you in.

She has seen Mike and Sam around, along with the other guys from the team but she makes a point to stay near the fire instead. It’s a lot colder than it was when she went out for ice cream earlier and she kind of regrets not wearing something thicker underneath her letterman jacket.

It’s not until after Principal Figgins makes a few announcements that she has to gather with the team for their grand entrance. It all seems a bit backwards since they’ve already been mingling for the past thirty minutes, but she just goes with the flow and follows after Kurt until they’re dismissed to join everyone else again. It’s then, that Brittany spots Santana hanging around the chairs she was sitting in before the Titans were called over.

To Brittany’s surprise, Santana sits alone. And like a moth to a flame, Brittany finds herself wandering over without a second thought.

“Hey,” Brittany greets with her hands tucked in her jacket pockets, “Where’s your other half?”

Santana looks away from the dancing flames and blinks like Brittany had just interrupted some deep thought, “Who? Quinn?”

“Yeah,” Brittany smiles as she sits next to Santana, “You two are always together.”

Santana chuckles, “She’s chatting up Mike I think. She’s on the hunt for an escort to Homecoming.”

“I’m sure Mike’s loving that,” Brittany laughs.

“Oh yeah?”

“Totally,” Brittany nods, “He has the biggest crush on Quinn. Don’t tell her I said that.”

“Oh, she knows,” Santana replies, “I don’t know why they won’t make it official already. They’re fooling no one.”

Brittany laughs again and thinks back to all the times she’s overheard Mike talk about Quinn like she put every star in the sky. It’s cute, she thinks, _they’re_ cute. It makes her wonders why they’re dragging their feet if the feelings are mutual.

Her thoughts are interrupted though when she sees Santana shiver.

She’s still wearing her uniform so it’s no wonder why she’s cold but at least she has her Cheerios jacket on too.

“You guys not allowed to wear pants or something?” Brittany asks jokingly.

Santana shoots her a playful glare, “I would’ve worn my warm-ups if I knew it was going to drop 40 degrees. It wasn’t this cold when I got here earlier.”

“I know right?” Brittany agrees as she tries to use the collar of her jacket to cover her ears, “I don’t like it.”

Santana chuckles as she sees Brittany trying to hide further into her jacket, “Okay it’s not _that_ cold. We’re literally sitting by a fire.”

Brittany just shrugs and looks back at Santana. Again, she’s kind of captivated by her. With her hair still down, falling in gentle waves over her shoulder, and the glow of the fire casting shades of burnt orange…Santana’s kind of beautiful.

 _Crap,_ Brittany thinks and goes to shake away the thought.

Instead, she goes to ask a question that’s been eating her up since her chat with Pete. Really, she just wants to shut down that nagging feeling of hope in the pit of her stomach and confirm that Santana’s already been easily swept up by some other eligible, more realistic option for a date.

“So what about your date hunt?” Brittany prompts timidly, “You have an escort already too?”

“No,” Santana’s smile falters and there’s just the barest of a crinkle between her brows as she looks back at the flames.

Brittany’s shocked by the news.

“I wouldn’t go with _anyone_ if I could,” Santana mentions quietly, “But it’s kind of tradition that a Cheerio doesn’t go unattended.”

“This school and its traditions…” Brittany sighs with the shake of her head.

Santana frowns, still looking away from Brittany, “Yeah. It’s so stupid.”

Brittany watches Santana, trying to read what’s hidden beneath the surface but she’s at a loss. Santana can be so cryptic sometimes, her walls so impossibly high. It’s hard for Brittany to get a read on her so she just has to ask instead and hope Santana graces her with an answer.

“I take it the hunt isn’t going very well?” Brittany wonders.

“Not at all,” Santana answers with a deep sigh.

Brittany wonders what that is. The way Santana looks is similar to the first time Brittany ever saw her back at Puck’s End of Summer party. She remembers seeing Santana and Quinn sitting by the pool – she’s never seen a girl looking so sad at a party. Back then, she wanted to go over and ask her why she was so sad but that was probably the alcohol giving her a false sense of confidence.

But knowing more of Santana now and seeing her look that way makes Brittany feel kind of sad too. She’s not sure how to console Santana, if that’s even what she wants from someone, so instead Brittany tries to make her laugh. 

“Wow, _you_ struggling to find a date?” Brittany teases gently, “There definitely isn’t any hope for the rest of us.”

“Why’s that?” Santana asks with her expression even.

Brittany gulps; maybe she’s making it worse?

“You’re just…” Brittany fumbles for the right words but all she can think of is how Pete described Santana earlier, “You’re nice. It’s kind of hard to believe that someone like you is still dateless.”

Santana looks like she’s about to laugh, “ _Nice?_ I don’t think anyone’s ever said that about me unless they’re referring to my ass.”

Brittany begins to feel flushed because _well, yeah that too_ but that wasn’t what she was referring to.

“You are though,” Brittany assures her, “You brought me the work I missed that one time. You assigned a locker to me when Coach Sylvester wouldn’t. You brought me that awesome – but weird colored – juice when I wasn’t feeling well. Not to mention how you handled JBI before I knew who he was…”

Santana just shakes her head though the smile begs to form.

“You’re nice Santana,” Brittany tells her this time.

Santana bobs her head from side to side like she can’t decide if she agrees with Brittany.

“Well, a lot of other people would disagree,” Santana says finally, “I’ve…burned a lot of bridges in the past so _nice_ isn’t going to cut it unfortunately. Pretty sure Quinn nabbed the last available Titan and I sure as hell won’t go with one of the Hockey players. If there are any Titans left they’re either pigs or too gross for me to even consider so that’s that.”

Suddenly Brittany feels her senses heighten and her heart rate spikes, because a thought just crossed her mind and although her head is telling her to keep quiet about it, her heart tells her to go for it. She’s caught in the middle, but then she hears her dad’s voice in her head saying, _“You won’t know unless you try.”_

So she decides to shoot that shot in the dark and hope for the best.

“What about me?” Brittany offers hesitantly. She feels her heart jump to her throat and it’s taking everything in her to come off cool and casual.

Santana looks at her curiously, “What about you?”

 _Of course she’d want me to spell it out for her_ , Brittany thinks with a chuckle.

“Well, _I’m_ not on the Hockey team.”

She can see the moment Santana catches on.

“Last time I checked I was a Titan too,” Brittany continues, “And I don’t have a date.”

Santana blinks at Brittany like she can’t believe her ears, “But…you’re a g – “

“I swear, if you say girl…” Brittany laughs.

“What?” Santana stammers out a laugh too, “You are!”

“Okay, and?” Brittany asks, “What’s that have to do with anything?”

Santana shakes her head and lets out a wry laugh, “Two girls can’t go to a dance together.”

Brittany rolls her eyes at that reasoning, “Who said?”

Santana’s lips part but nothing comes out. Brittany smirks.

“You don’t have an escort and I don’t either,” Brittany explains, “From what I hear, Cheerios tend to go with Football players and since I’m apparently the only Titan without a date still it would make sense for us to go together. Unless you’re considering me one of the _gross_ ones you wouldn’t dream of going with?”

Santana averts her gaze, “You’re not.”

Hope starts to swell within Brittany, “Well then…we’re not really breaking tradition, are we? It’s like finding a loophole. You’re still a Cheerio going with a Titan, it just so happens that we’re both girls.”

Santana takes a moment to reply but when she does, she sounds a lot more nervous than before and Brittany worries that she’s made her uncomfortable by asking.

“I – I’m just…” Santana stutters, “I’m not…”

Brittany waits for Santana to finish but she’s so tripped up on her words that she can’t get anything out. The blonde kind of gets what Santana’s trying to say judging by the look of discomfort and takes the awkward rambling as all the assurance she needs.

“Santana, you don’t have to be gay to go to a dance with another girl,” Brittany jokes trying to lighten the mood.

Santana just stiffens, “Uhm.”

“I wasn’t going to go with anyone either,” Brittany continues to ramble, “Seems like you and I are the only ones that have that in common.” 

“Right,” Santana mumbles.

“Yeah so,” Brittany chuckles, suddenly feeling way more nervous than before, “Maybe we can just go together as friends?”

“Friends?” Santana repeats. It seems like she only knows how to say one word at a time now.

“Yeah, friends,” Brittany chuckles, “You’ve heard of them, right?”

“Y-yeah,” Santana stutters.

“Okay, well all of mine already have dates and since everyone wants to put such a big emphasis on having an escort, you’re the only one left that I’d feel comfortable going with. Not that I consider you a last resort,” Brittany quickly amends, “I just thought we could help each other out, you know?”

Santana looks shocked, “Really?”

“Well yeah,” Brittany shrugs. She pushes away the doubt trying to worm its way in. She can’t remember the last time she felt this nervous to go out on whim, “So what do you say? Do you want to go together?”

“As _friends_?”

“Yes Santana,” Brittany chuckles, “As friends.”

“Okay,” Santana smiles and for a second she starts to act normal again, “Yeah. That’s cool.”

“Awesome!” Brittany beams.

She feels so relieved now and thinks that went a lot better than she thought but she can still sense a little hesitance on Santana’s end which makes her a little nervous. She goes to tuck her hair behind her air just to give her hands something to do.

“So…” Brittany drawls out, “I should probably get your number then? For outfit coordination purposes, you know just so we don’t accidentally match or something.”

When she sees that faint smirk on Santana’s lips, Brittany feels a little better about asking.

“Wow, you always this smooth when getting a girl’s number?” Santana teases.

Brittany instantly rolls her eyes at the sarcasm.

She’s been told that she’s charismatic and maybe a little _accidentally_ flirty, but she honestly isn’t trying anything with Santana. She wouldn’t do anything to make her uncomfortable – she knows what straight girls are like around the not-so-straight ones so Brittany’s always cautious with how she comes off. 

Even if her cheeks burn a little, she’s glad Santana still has jokes and decides to make one of her own too.

“Don’t worry, Santana,” Brittany smirks as she hands over her phone, “If I was going to hit on you, you’d know it.”

Santana blushes hard but Brittany just misses it as Santana fishes out her phone from her bra, “Here. Let me get your number too.”

\\\\\\\\\

By Friday, word surprisingly hasn’t gotten around that Santana is going with Brittany. She knows _she_ hasn’t told anyone – not even Quinn yet – so Brittany must’ve been staying quiet too. She’s kind of thankful for that, even if she didn’t explicitly tell Brittany not to.

But that isn’t the only thing she hasn’t explicitly told Brittany.

_“Santana, you don’t have to be gay to go to a dance with another girl.”_

Brittany’s words flash in Santana’s head like warning lights. She doesn’t know why she’s surprised by the statement; they’ve never talked about her sexuality before. Then again, it’s not something she loves to bring up in casual conversation nor is it something she flaunts.

She’s just shocked more than anything that Brittany doesn’t know yet considering how invasive everyone is at school.

\\\

Santana’s in the locker room with Quinn getting ready for the Pep Rally when she finally tells her best friend the news.

“So I found a date,” Santana mentions before the rest of the squad joins them, “Well technically, the date found me.”

Quinn perks up, “Who?”

She can barely contain the smirk when she looks over at Quinn, “McKinley’s star QB.”

“No way!” Quinn gasps. A wide smile fills her face and makes her cheeks bunch, “That is so great, Santana. This is happening so much faster than I thought! God, I’m so surprised. Mike told me that she wasn’t going to go with anyone. I wonder what made her change her mind? Wait, what changed _your_ mind?”

Santana wonders that too and a little part of her holds out hope that it was because she told Brittany she was having trouble finding a date. That gets Santana thinking; she couldn’t find a date because she didn’t want to go with a boy – and now the only girl at school that’s an option for her thinks she’s straight.

The fucking irony.

“So there’s just one small problem,” Santana notes without answering Quinn’s questions.

“What?”

“She…doesn’t know,” Santana says cryptically.

Quinn’s confused, “Doesn’t know what?”

“ _You know_ ,” Santana prompts then goes to whisper, “She thinks I’m straight.”

Quinn’s jaw drops, “Wait. What?”

Santana just nods.

Quinn shakes her head, “No seriously, _what_?”

“I don’t know,” Santana says as she slumps down on the bench next to Quinn, “Is it weird that I’m disappointed? I mean, I know I don’t smell like a golf course or wear flannel 24/7 but like… _really?_ I thought everyone knew by now?”

Quinn’s at a loss too, “The one time your reputation doesn’t come through for you.”

Santana let’s out a bitter laugh at that and looks to the floor, “What’s the point of being outed to literally everyone in this whole fucking town if I still have to come out to people myself?” Santana feels a lump instantly lodge itself in her throat and it becomes impossibly hard to swallow back. Her eyes feel hot and stingy, “They did it for me once and now that it would actually benefit me, no one wants to say anything? I thought people here _loved_ talking shit about me behind my back? Where are they all now?”

She doesn’t notice that streams of tears have begun to run down her cheeks until Quinn’s wrapping an arm around her. Santana’s vision blurs as the sobs hit her hard. She hasn’t let herself cry about what happened in so long, maybe that’s why she broke so quickly at its very mention? She’s glad they’re still alone though, she’d hate for the rest of the squad to see her like this.

“Santana,” Quinn tries but it’s the only thing she can get out right now. She doesn’t know what to say that’ll make this go away so she just holds Santana upright and keeps her steady. 

“I’m fine. It’s fine,” Santana stammers as she takes a deep, shaky breath. When she finally believes her own words, she pushes to straighten up so she can wipe her face.

Quinn looks at her worriedly before she turning away so that Santana can continue to calm herself down. She knows how Santana gets when she fusses over her, so she tries to give her some space.

“I thought I could make jokes about it,” Santana mentions awhile later, “I guess I’m not ready yet.”

“It’s okay,” Quinn smiles apologetically. She waits a moment before suggesting, “Maybe look at it as a positive? Brittany’s one person you get to come out to on your own. You can do it however you want and I’m sure she’d be very understanding.”

That actually calms Santana a little. She thinks about her abuela and how she was the only person she came out to on her own terms and it completely blew up in her face. But with Brittany, she knows it would be different. She knows Brittany wouldn’t shut her out.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Santana nods, “I can control it this time.”

“Exactly,” Quinn gives her a pat on the knee, “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up. The girls will be here any minute.”

\\\

When the Cheerios take to the gym, they do their usual routine of getting the crowd hyped up for Principal Figgins as he goes through with the usual announcements and Fall teams introductions. It’s all business for Santana as she works the crowd – that is until the Titans are called out and she feels something shift.

Brittany leads the team while wearing that award winning smile of hers. The rest of the guys pump their fists and cheer, motioning for the crowd of students to get louder as they spread out and get people amped up for their performance with the Cheerios.

It’s nothing special; the Cheerios and the Titans do something together every year for the Homecoming Pep Rally. It’s usually the same routine since it’s easier for the Titans to follow along when all they have to do is pair off with a Cheerio and groove to the music.

Santana sees the Hockey guys sulking off to the side – no one ever gets that loud when they are announced – and she finds herself smirking at how pissed they look. For a team that sucks so bad and swears that _Hockey rules the school,_ they rarely get any applause that isn’t forced.

Brittany then surprises everyone by doing a no-handed cartwheel and it has the crowd in awe. Even Santana’s jaw drops a little as she watches Brittany stick the landing in one smooth motion before skipping over to stand next to her.

“Impressive, Pierce,” Santana comments as she shakes her pompoms.

Brittany lifts her shoulder as she moves easily to the rhythm of the song, “I use to do gymnastics.”

“Of course you did,” Santana chuckles as she keeps up with the choreography, “Is there anything you can’t do?”

“Recite the alphabet backwards, parallel park, color in the lines…” Brittany lists playfully.

“Very funny,” Santana rolls her eyes. She goes to do a high kick before she’s dancing again next to Brittany, “You ready for the game tonight?”

“Totally,” Brittany nodded resolutely, “Should be fun. Are you?”

Santana lifted her shoulder similarly to what Brittany did before, “I’m interested to see how you do. We haven’t won a Homecoming game in years, so...”

Brittany giggled, “Well, I work pretty well under pressure _so_...”

Santana smirked as the routine ended, “We’ll see.”

\\\\\\\\\

To say that there’s a lot of pressure on Brittany to bring in a win is an understatement. After everything that happened with her stance on slushie facials and the way she spoke so highly of herself when it came to winning, Brittany kind of dug herself a hole. Not that she would take back anything she said – she was very serious when she vowed she could take the Titans to the Championships.

She knows she can, that’s why she’s so confident about it.

It’s just whether or not a select few members of the team are going to get with the program so that they can really start to thrive, because no matter how good _she_ is – one person doesn’t win games.

There’s still Karofsky and Azimio being absolute pains in her ass then there’s Finn with his need to remind Brittany of every little thing that’s never been done purely because no one’s ever tried making any changes.

People here are just so set in their ways – happy to carry on with their so-called traditions although they suck. She can see the subtle changes in others on the team though – like very, very subtle changes – so she’ll take that as progress for now.

\\\

The game against the Westvale Wizards ends up being a complete blow out. The Titans crush the Wizards in every aspect; so much so that Brittany started to feel a little bad about the score differentiation.

_Home: 28 Away: 3_

She doesn’t feel that bad though because she broke many personal records tonight and that’s bound to get some media attention. Not that it’s what she plays for, but her meeting with Ms. Pillsbury has her thinking about scouts and her future. She hopes she’s enough to grab their attention.

Westvale didn’t offer too much competition compared to going up against Carmel High, but a win is a win. It’s just what the team needs for morale and it’s a great way to end Spirit Week and put everyone in a good mood for the Homecoming Dance. Apparently, the last time the Titans won a Homecoming game was nearly six years ago so it’s yet another record Brittany gets to claim as they move on to being 6-1.

\\\

After giving out handshakes to the other team, Brittany makes her way off the field for some water and finds Santana lingering by the sidelines along with the other Cheerios. The rest of them are getting packed up but Santana’s just watching Brittany as she draws near.

Brittany sees her holding a green Gatorade cup in her hand and it puts a smile on Brittany’s face.

“Well, you didn’t disappoint,” Santana says once Brittany’s close enough. She hands the cup over to the blonde, “Great game, Pierce.”

Brittany’s smile grows as she sets her helmet down on the bench so she can take the drink, “Thanks. It was a team effort.”

“And always so humble too,” Santana notes with a chuckle.

“Really couldn’t have done it without your amazing cheers though,” Brittany winks just before she nods over at the squad, “Great stuff.”

Santana looks behind her and shrugs, “It was a team effort.”

Brittany can’t help but laugh at that, “Of course.”

Santana can be so damn cute sometimes without even trying – at least, Brittany doesn’t think she is. Really, Brittany can’t understand how she got so lucky with getting to be Santana’s date. Well, not her _date_ date.

Brittany’s pretty sure _that’s_ off the table.

She’s just honored that she gets to go with someone she genuinely likes to be around. It’ll be cool to hang out with Santana in a different setting other than Miss Holliday’s classroom or practice or in passing in the hallways.

Which reminds her…

“So about tomorrow,” Brittany mentions a little timidly. She plays with the paper cup in her hand, “Did you want to meet there? Or I can pick you up if you want? You’ll have to text me your address. Although, fair warning: I’m not very good at directions. The whole _in 300 feet turn left_ thing always confuses me like how am I suppose to know how much that is…” Brittany pauses when she sees Santana start to raise her brow, “I’m rambling, sorry.”

Santana chuckles, “How about I pick you up at yours? I already know where you live anyway.”

Brittany nods, “Okay, yeah.”

“Doors open at 7:30,” Santana mentions, “I can come by around 7?”

“Yeah,” Brittany grins, “That sounds good to me.”

“Cool.”

“Yup.”

“Yo Pierce!” Mike calls out to her from where the team has started to gather for a post-game huddle, “Get over here!”

Brittany tosses up her hand in a wave before turning back to Santana, “Sorry, I better get over there. Thanks again for the drink.”

Santana just nods, the same small smile playing at her lips.

It makes Brittany smile too and for a second it makes her trip up on her words, “Uh…so I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

Santana nods again, “Yeah, text me. Congrats on the win again.”

Brittany’s smile widens before she’s jogging over to the huddle. She wasn’t all that jazzed for the dance at first, but now that she’s going with Santana she starts to feel the excitement build.

Now, she can’t wait for tomorrow night.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Hey friends! Homecoming is finally upon us - brace yourselves, it's the longest chapter yet. Big thank you to everyone that's sending in those lovely messages, it's very much appreciated! So much so that I've already got a jump on writing chapter 6. 
> 
> To my fellow Steeler Nation, 11-0 baby!!! (Even if that last game was so, so horrible LOL)
> 
> Thank you all for reading and I hope this chapter jingles your bells.

Homecoming is finally here and Santana is a bag of nerves. She’s trying her hardest to keep her cool and do the things she normally would in preparation for the night, but nothing’s able to distract her. It’s actually embarrassing how nervous she feels and she’s so relived that Quinn isn’t around to point it out, Lord knows that girl would get such a kick out of it.

Santana’s nearly done applying the finishing touches to her make up when Maribel knocks at her bedroom door. She lowers her mascara wand and calls out for her to come in while she turns down the music.

“Oh mija,” Maribel coos as she takes in the sight of her daughter all glammed up in her usual choice of color. She brings her hand to cover her heart as a smile stretches across her face, “You look beautiful.”

“Thanks mami,” Santana mumbles a bit bashfully.

Maribel reaches out to fix a whisp of Santana’s waves that’s gone out of place, “You know I use to curl my hair _just like that_ when I was your age.”

“Why didn’t you tell me before I did all this?” Santana jokes, “I would’ve opted to go straight.”

Maribel gives her a knowing look and Santana can’t decide if she wants to laugh or hide her face in her hands. She’s already a nervous wreck, but thankfully her mom doesn’t linger too long on her phrasing.

“Hey, your mother was hot back in the day,” Maribel warns playfully, “Who do you think you get your good looks from? Papi?”

“True,” Santana giggles.

“How come you and Quinn didn’t get ready here?” Maribel mentions, “You always do.”

Santana shrugs, “We decided to change things up this time. Her mom was getting jealous you always got to see Quinn first.”

“I see,” Maribel nods, “Well, who did you decide on taking? You never told me.”

Santana bites her lip as she turns away to find her purse She was hoping to avoid the questions until after the dance, but she should’ve known better. Still, she tries to be vague about it all.

“I’m going with someone on the football team like always,” Santana says dismissively hoping that’ll be the end of that.

“It’s not that Puckerman boy, is it?” Maribel warns as Santana comes to sit at the edge of her bed to put on her heels, “Your father hates him.”

“No, it’s not him,” Santana answers easily, too easily that she doesn’t catch the slip-up before it happens, “She’s new to the school.”

Santana freezes as panic starts to settle into her bones. She’s not sure what to expect from Maribel so she just stares wide-eyed at fumbling with the straps. The seconds that tick by feel like hours but then Maribel finally says something.

“Brittany,” Maribel says softly, “That’s her name, right? You said she was new to school the other week.”

Santana takes a peek over at Maribel to find that she doesn’t look angry. She’s just looking at Santana in that soft way moms do when they see their kid struggling with something.

It makes Santana want to cry for some reason; out of relief or out of guilt? She’s not sure.

“Yeah, I – I’m just…” Santana starts stammering for an excuse, “She was going to go alone a – and she… _we_ thought that it would be okay because I’m a– “

“Santana,” Maribel coos as comes to sit next to Santana. She wraps an arm around her daughter’s shoulders, “You don’t have to explain.”

Santana just nods; the lump in her throat too big to get any words around. Her sexuality is still that _thing_ no one talks about – mostly because of her father – but she’s always terrified of alluding to it too. Maribel makes her feel like it’s a little okay though as she just rubs at Santana’s shoulder until she feels the tension slowly start to ease.

“Wait,” Maribel turns to look at her, “You said she’s on the team?”

“Yeah.”

Maribel gives her a sideways smirk, “Now _that_ you have to explain.”

Santana feels herself smiling too, “She’s the new quarterback. She’s actually really good too.”

“Is she now?” Maribel’s brows shoot up as her smile widens, “That’s amazing! Will she come to pick you up?”

Santana’s smile falters, “No. I – I didn’t know if Papi was going to be here.”

Maribel matches Santana’s frown but nods, “I understand.”

Santana gives her an apologetic smile but Maribel just leans over and kisses her temple.

“Well, I’d like to meet her one of these days,” Maribel says kindly, “If she’s dating my daughter the same rules still apply. Girl or boy, they have to come introduce themselves.”

Santana’s eyes bug out, “Oh, no. We’re not – that’s not a thing. We’re just…we’re friends.”

Suddenly Santana’s phone begins to ring loudly, making the pair of them jump at its interruption. Santana scrambles to catch the call, relieved to see the name on the screen.

“Oh thank God. Sorry Mami, Quinn’s calling,” Santana says, “Could be a fashion emergency.”

Maribel only nods as she gets up to leave the room. Once the door closes behind her, Santana answers the call but she doesn’t get a chance to say anything before Quinn’s hitting her with 21 questions.

 _“Have you asked yet?”_ Quinn says in greeting.

Santana rolls her eyes, “Asked who what?”

 _“You know who_ and _what.”_

“Ugh. No,” Santana says firmly, “No, I haven’t.”

 _“What’s the hold up? Are you really waiting until the very last minute?”_ Quinn groans. Santana can practically hear the girl pacing now, _“It’s almost 7, Santana.”_

“I don’t know if I _will_ ask, okay?” Santana tells her firmly, “I haven’t decided yet. This is all very, very new to me and I’m scared as shit so just chill the hell out, Fabray.”

There’s a sigh at the other end of the line but it isn’t out of angry frustration. It’s sympathetic and full of understanding.

_“Okay. Well, we’ll be there if you change your mind. I think you should come, maybe it won’t be so scary if you’re with your friends, you know?”_

Santana nods even though Quinn can’t see her, “Yeah. Maybe. I’ll let you know.”

 _“Okay. I’ll text you the place,”_ Quinn tells her before they’re saying goodbye.

Santana tries to settle her nerves again and looks to the long mirror set up at the corner of her room. She knows Quinn means well – she always does – but right now Santana just needs to focus on getting her head right. She tries remember all the little mantras she use to tell herself to get pumped up.

It worries her when they don’t really have the usual desired effect.

But then she thinks about Brittany and how that’s who she’ll be spending most of her time with tonight and that seems to do a better job of easing her nerves before she has to leave.

\\\

When Santana arrives at Brittany’s house, she realizes she actually hasn’t done this before – the whole picking up a date thing. Usually the guys pick her up at hers and Hector grills them while Santana finishes getting ready upstairs. It’s all very traditional – no surprise there.

But this? This is new territory and like she told Quinn – it’s kind of scary.

She sucks in a deep breath though and goes to ring the doorbell. She can hear Brittany’s little brother yell out something before Whitney’s opening the door.

“Oh Santana!” Whitney sighs dramatically, “Look at you, you’re gorgeous! Come in, come in.”

Again, Santana blushes at the motherly tone. Whitney has this way of making her feel kind of shy and at-home all at once and it’s kind of nice.

“Thanks Mrs. Pierce,” Santana answers bashfully as she wanders in to awkwardly stand in the foyer.

Pete is just sitting on the end of the stairs staring up at her in awe. It makes Santana giggle.

“Hey Pete,” She waves.

Pete’s cheeks bunch in a familiar way as he straightens to sit taller, “Hi.”

Santana takes note of the blue and yellow jersey he’s wearing with the number _12_ on his chest and smiles, “Nice jersey.”

He looks down at it and his smile grows even bigger, “Thanks! It’s my sister’s from a long time ago. She let me have it. Wanna see the back?”

Santana smirks at his enthusiasm, “Sure!”

He jumps up and does a quick spin, “See? It has _Pierce_ on it and look at the sleeve! It’s a dolphin. That’s Danny the Dolphin, he went to our old school.”

“That’s very cool,” Santana compliments, “I love those colors.”

“You do?” Pete’s jaw drops, “Blue is my favorite color. It’s Brittany’s too!”

“No way,” Santana looks just as surprised.

Pete jumps up to sit on the edge of the coach right next to where Santana stands, “What your favorite color?”

Santana taps at her chin, “I think it might be red.”

“I thought so,” Pete replies, “You wore red the last time you were here and now you’re wearing red again.”

Santana just chuckles at this kid’s amazing memory.

“Britt, come on now!” Whitney calls up the stairs, “Santana’s here.”

“Sorry! I’m coming,” Santana hears Brittany reply followed by quick steps that turn into heavy thuds as the blonde hurries down the stairs.

Santana steps forward, “Oh, there’s no rush – “ but the rest of her words stop in their tracks as she catches sight of Brittany for the first time. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting Brittany to wear – her outfits at school were always pretty eccentric yet tasteful – but this tops all of them.

“ _Oh_ ,” Is all that Santana manages to get out.

Brittany’s baby blue tulle skirt adds the usual playfulness to her outfit while the fitted white blazer and dress shirt class it up. Santana finds herself smiling at the black bowtie around her neck; only Brittany could pull off such a combo.

Santana’s too busy staring that she doesn’t notice Brittany doing the same exact thing.

Whitney’s laugh breaks up the silence, “Both of you girls are stunning!”

“Yeah,” Pete nods and looks to Santana, “You’re really pretty.”

“Agreed,” Brittany adds as she finally comes down the last couple of steps and closes the distance to Santana, “Sorry I made you wait. I couldn’t figure out how to tie this thing. It took me like three tries. Does it look weird?”

She waves at her bowtie and Santana chuckles.

“It looks great,” Santana goes to give it a straighten before she realizes what she’s done and quickly pulls away, “Uh don’t worry about the wait, there’s no rush.”

“Okay cool,” Brittany smiles then looks around shyly, “So, do you wanna…”

“Oh! Yeah,” Santana straightens, “We can go.”

“Hold on,” Whitney stops them both as she fetches a couple of small boxes, “I’ve got a little something for you both.”

“Mom,” Brittany sighs out of embarrassment, “I told you not to get those.”

“Hush Britt, they’re just daisies,” Whitney jokes, “You can’t go to a dance without accessories.”

Brittany begins to blush as she looks to Santana and whispers, “We can take them off in the car if you want.”

Santana gets the reluctance. Corsages are something dates get for each other, it’s not really a thing friends do. Or maybe it is and Santana just hasn’t ever experience it? But seeing Brittany clam up about it has Santana smiling – at least she isn’t the only one nervous about this whole arrangement.

Santana gives her a look, “Don’t be mean. She’s got a point and I _do_ love to accessorize.”

Brittany rolls her eyes, but relents as Whitney passes her a couple of corsage boxes.

“Hey Pete, will you help a girl out?” Santana asks sweetly as she takes one of the boxes and crouches down to Pete’s level. He’s eager to come over and carefully slides the corsage on Santana’s wrist with her guidance.

“Like that?” He asks.

She admires his work and gives him a high five, “Nice job.”

Whitney smiles at the two and glances to Brittany who’s still looking reluctantly at her own corsage. Before Whitney can offer to help though, Santana beats her to it.

“Come on. Give it here,” Santana instructs playfully, “I’ll do yours.”

Santana isn’t sure where all this confidence is coming from, but she isn’t going to complain about it now – especially when she doesn’t know how long it’ll last. It’s kind of nice having the upper hand for once. It’s rare that she sees Brittany waver, but this sort of embarrassment brought on by her mom is relatable and…kind of cute.

So Santana makes quick work of getting Brittany’s corsage onto her wrist. She’s aware of how her fingertips brush against the soft inside of Brittany’s wrist – it’s probably the first time they’ve really touched. She’s surprised neither of them flinches from it.

“Thanks,” Brittany mumbles once her corsage is secure.

“Sure,” Santana nods and takes a step back to put some distance between them, “So ready to go now?”

“Yup!”

“Wait!” Whitney stops them again.

Brittany instantly pouts, “ _Mom_ , please.”

“What? Let’s get some pictures,” Whitney says, “Let me see your phone, Britt.”

That’s when Santana’s confidence streak runs out.

Pictures get posted on the internet and once something is on the internet it’s there forever and does she want this on the internet forever? She’s overacting; she can feel it but there’s that nagging fear at the back of her mind that forces its way to the forefront. She’s been burned before and she’s still recovering from that.

“Wait,” Santana pauses just as Brittany’s handing over her phone. She’s trying to figure out a realistic excuse without making Brittany feel like she’s ashamed to be pictured with her or something like that, but she falls short.

It’s just…too intimate for her liking.

“Oh honey,” Whitney says softly, “We don’t have to if you aren’t comfortable. You both just look so beautiful.”

It’s those simple words that banish Santana’s fear for a moment. It’s the kindness and the consideration that Santana’s not use to and it has her relaxing just a little.

“Yeah,” Brittany agrees with a gentle smile, “We don’t have to if you don’t want to.“

Santana shakes her head and tries to box up the rest of that terrifying feeling.

At some point she has to stop letting it win. At some point she has to take back the power. Maybe her confidence streak was spurred on by the being there at the Pierce’s and the safe space that they unknowingly created? Maybe she can practice taking back her power here?

“No,” Santana says, “We can. I just…can you hold off on posting them anywhere?”

“Oh yeah,” Brittany nods, “Of course.”

“Thanks,” Santana says softly.

“Alright you two,” Whitney shoos them together, “Say cheese!”

\\\

Pictures don’t take up too much time; in fact, Whitney only snapped a few before Brittany was reaching for the phone.

 _“She gets camera-happy,”_ Brittany had told Santana, _“I’m saving us both from the blurry pictures and unflattering angles.”_

Now they’re in Santana’s car pulling out of Brittany’s driveway. Santana had given Brittany free reign on music choice, so Brittany’s busy scrolling through songs on Santana’s in-dash unit. Now that it’s just them, Santana starts to feel a little nervous again.

Really, she’s caught in between feeling giddy for going with Brittany to Homecoming and feeling guilty that she’s hiding her true self when Brittany’s been so confident and accepting. Santana finds herself wishing she could be like her.

Maybe one day?

“Oh, I love this song!” Brittany cheers as she starts to play something upbeat.

Santana smiles her way even though Brittany doesn’t see it. She remembers what Quinn said about Brittany being a good person to have around – how she’d be a good influence on her – and that has Santana testing the boundaries of her comfort zone again.

“So,” Santana says with a glance in Brittany’s direction.

“So…” Brittany prompts with a chuckle.

“Have you eaten already?”

“Like dinner?”

“Yeah.”

Brittany ponders, “No, I guess not.”

“Well…did you want to?”

She can feel Brittany’s eyes on her, but she focuses on the road instead.

“Quinn and Mike invited us to meet with them if we wanted,” Santana explains shyly, “I forgot to bring it up before. It was a last minute thing. I just wasn’t sure if it was something you might want to do.”

“No, I’m totally down!” Brittany beams, “I mean, if _you_ want to.”

“Uhh, yeah. I think it could be cool,” Santana admits for the first time since Quinn mentioned it last night.

“Awesome,” Brittany grins her way, “Where are we meeting them?”

\\\

“Breadstix? Really?” Santana deadpans instead of a greeting when she approaches Quinn.

Brittany rushes over to compliment Mike’s snazzy suit. He and Quinn had been waiting outside of the restaurant for Santana and Brittany to arrive.

“Uhm, you _love_ this place,” Quinn replies but barely hides her smirk.

“Exactly,” Santana says, “You knew I wouldn’t be able to resist coming here. This is a trap.”

Quinn just rolls her eyes, “You ever think that this is the only damn restaurant in Lima that isn’t infested with rats?”

“Oh gross,” Santana crinkles her nose, “I don’t want to think about that before I have my ‘Stix.”

“Okay then, stop complaining,” Quinn jokes before lowering her voice, “Glad you changed your mind.”

“Don’t make it a big deal,” Santana warns quietly, “I’m barely holding it together.”

Quinn just pats her shoulder, “It’ll be fine, Santana.”

“Let’s hope so,” She says as they start to walk over to Mike and Brittany.

“You two look cute by the way,” Quinn whispers quickly.

Santana can’t even say anything witty in reply. She kind of agrees with her best friend for once.

\\\

Despite Breadstix being a popular meeting place before and after any McKinley event, the four of them are able to snag a well-hidden booth towards the back and avoid getting spotted by anyone they know. It’s strange how easy it all felt once Santana wasn’t so focused on the fear of someone seeing them together.

She slipped into the booth next to Quinn while Mike and Brittany slid into the one on the opposite side respectively. Santana thought it was a good move sitting next to Quinn instead, but she clearly didn’t think it through because now she’s directly in front of Brittany and it’s kind of hard not to stare when she’s _right there_.

She still can’t get over how pretty Brittany looks with her hair done up and just that tiny bit more make up on. She doesn’t think Brittany’s the type that really needs to apply much, but man…when she does, she’s stunning.

Santana also finds pretty quickly that Quinn was kind of right about it not being so scary if she’s out with her friends. It’s a weird thought, but she kind of feels safe with them like this. She can actually imagine the four of them doing this again and that thought makes her smile.

Once they order their food, they fall easily into conversation and Santana begins to give in to having a good time. In fact, it might’ve been one of the _best_ times she’s had in awhile.

Usually Santana’s date would bring her here and they’d end up cutting dinner short so that they could make out in his car before the dance. She always hated that part; making out with guys kind of felt like a chore to her so it lost its effect a long time ago, but the messing up of her hair and make up was the annoying part. She learned pretty quickly that if she pinned their hands or told them not to touch it only made them want her more.

Now _that_ was something she could get behind.

It gave her the upper hand and that’s kind of how she established a little reputation for being the dominant one and guys loved that about her. It was like _who was man enough to tame Santana Lopez_? No one was ever successful obviously because no _man_ ever could.

She lost that power when she was outed though, but things are a lot different for her now in more ways than one.

Even if she is only going with Brittany to Homecoming as a friend, there’s no pressure of having to _put out_ or sacrifice her dinner because she has to go make out with her date. Not that her past dates ever _made_ her do anything, she just did what she needed to in order to solidify her status.

But with Brittany, she doesn’t have to worry about any of that and it’s a fucking relief for a change. Maybe she can actually enjoy the dance for once instead of looking at it like it’s a game that needs to be won? Then again, there’s still the matter of who will win Homecoming King and Queen and that puts things back into perspective for Santana.

She has to win – she _has to_ – especially when there’s so much riding on this for her. It’s not just a crown: it’s her reputation, it’s her image, it’s her popularity. It’s a big _fuck you_ to everyone that has talked shit about her behind her back.

“Santana,” Quinn calls out loudly with the snap of her fingers.

Santana blinks and notices three pairs of eyes staring at her. They all have the same look on their faces – concern, worry, confusion.

“Sorry,” Santana brushes off, “I zoned out.”

“Seriously, you looked like you were in another dimension,” Mike jokes.

Santana forces out a chuckle; she kind of was.

“Mike was just talking about his meeting with Ms. Pillsbury about college application deadlines,” Quinn supplies but there’s still a touch of worry in her brow, “Didn’t you have your meeting already too?”

Santana nods as she nibbles on a breadstick, “Yeah. She got me pretty early on. I swore she’s meant to go in alphabetical order or something? I bet my dad had something to do with it.”

“Right? My dad’s been on my case since Freshman year,” Mike chuckles and then looks to Brittany, “Have you had your meeting?”

Santana looks to Brittany too, suddenly curious about what Brittany’s plans are after graduation. Most of the students here – at least the ones that care about their futures – can’t wait to get out of Lima. She wonders if Brittany thinks the same since she’s new to the area, but she can’t imagine anyone actually _wanting_ to stay here longer than they need to. Brittany doesn’t have to grow up here to feel the same.

“I have, yeah. It’s kind of cool how she’s checking in on everyone,” Brittany says, “With the move and being new, I thought I’d slip through the cracks or something so I did most of my college prep beforehand.”

“Where do you plan on going?” Quinn asks before Santana could.

“I’ve got a few places in mind,” Brittany shrugs as she starts to play with the straw in her drink, “I use to want to go to Florida State because some of my favorite athletes went there but I don’t think I could move that far away from my family now that we live here. I’m hoping to get an offer from Ohio State. If not, Louisville is as far as I’ll go.”

“Makes sense,” Quinn nods, “I’m looking at Yale. The farther from here, the better.”

“That’s a great school,” Brittany notes, “Why so far from home?”

“Most people here can’t wait to get away from their family,” Santana explains. She can see Quinn nod in agreement, but Brittany just shakes her head.

“Not me,” Brittany replies, “I couldn’t imagine being _that_ far from mine.”

“That’s because you’ve got a cool mom and even cooler little bro,” Mike compliments which instantly lightens the mood.

Santana’s experienced how supportive and kind Brittany’s family is and it makes her wonder how different she would’ve turned out if her family acted similarly. She probably would’ve had a way easier time coming to terms with who she is, that’s for sure!

“Here we are kids! Have at it,” The waitress says as she brings over everyone’s meals. Once the plates are down, the previous conversation is long forgotten and they all focus back on getting excited for the dance.

\\\

Once they arrive at McKinley, that feeling of safety and security quickly leaves Santana. Now she’s back to being out in the open – exposed – and it makes her feel just a little more unsettled.

Mike happens to park close by so the four of them regroup and make their way to the entrance together. There’s strength in numbers and Santana tries to remember that as she walks alongside Brittany to the end of the line that’s heading inside. Santana makes sure there’s enough distance between them so their hands don’t accidentally touch or something that would make everything weird but knowing that’s even something she’s being weary of is weird already!

She shakes her head at how she’s already overthinking things when Brittany bumps her with an elbow. The blonde doesn’t say anything, just tilts her head at how Mike’s hand rests at the small of Quinn’s back.

Santana sees and they start to smirk. It’s enough to distract her from the meddling thoughts as they continue to wait in line.

“Oh! There’s Kurt and Mercedes,” Brittany says when she spots her friends walking up from the carpark. She then looks to Santana, “Do you mind if I go say hi really quick?”

Santana quirks her brow, surprised by the fact that Brittany’s even asking. Usually if her date saw someone, they’d just up and go to them.

“Uh yeah,” Santana nods, “Go ahead.”

“Sweet!” Brittany beams, “I’ll be right back.”

Quinn glances over her shoulder to smirk at Santana, “She’s so chivalrous, isn’t she?”

Santana narrows her eyes at Quinn before glancing down at Mike’s hand placement. She smirks when she sees Quinn blush and instantly turn out of his hold to face Santana fully. Mike just looks a little confused but turns around too so that they’re all facing each other now.

“Slow moving line, huh?” Mike comments since the two Co-Captains seem to be having a telepathic conversation.

Before either of them can respond, a booming voice calls out from behind them.

“Sup Chang!” Karofsky says and slaps Mike on the back. Azimio lingers beside him and they both look between Santana and Quinn then back at Mike, “No way you scored both of these pretty ladies.”

Santana instantly rolls her eyes and moves closer to Quinn.

“I’m here with Quinn,” Mike tells them simply, “Santana’s here with Brittany.”

Azimio shakes his head first, “Of course she is. A shame really.”

Santana feels her heart start to pound and her fist tightens, “What’s that suppose to mean?”

“Means it’s a damn waste,” Azimio laughs as he waves his hand at her, “Hot piece like you had to go and switch teams.”

“I don’t see you two idiots here with dates,” Quinn challenges. It’s enough to give Santana a boost of courage too.

“Unless you’re here _together?”_ Santana adds.

“Fuck no! Rather come alone,” Karofsky retorts and gives Santana a grimace, “That shit isn’t natural.”

“What the hell did you just say?” Santana snaps. She feels her whole body ignite as her blunt nails dig into the palms of her hands. She can’t decide if she feels like ripping his head off or bursting into tears.

“You heard what I said _dyke,_ ” Karofsky bites back and the way the last word falls makes Santana’s skin crawl.

“Hey man!” Mike steps in. He stands a little straighter but he still looks like a twig compared to the hulking guys, “That’s enough. Don’t you two have somewhere else you can stand?”

Azimio waves him off while Karofsky just laughs, “What? You in on it too?”

“Sticking around for a show later?” Azimio adds as he pokes at Mike’s chest.

Mike slaps his hand away, “Back off, dude. It’s not like that.”

Azimio doesn’t take too kindly to being challenged and soon he and Mike start to shove at each other.

“What are you gonna do?” Azimio instigates, “Lady Lips isn’t here to back you up. You’re all by yourself.”

That’s when Mike shoves Azimio _hard_ and it has Karofsky and Azimio fired up. They start to egg Mike on even more while Santana and Quinn try desperately to pull him back before it gets any worse.

“Go ahead, let him go!” Azimio challenges, “Let’s see what the Asian’s got.” 

Thankfully Coach Beiste sees the commotion and jogs over. She puts herself between the guys and shouts, “What the hell is going on here?”

Azimio and Karofsky settle instantly, “Nothing Coach, just messing around with Mike here.”

Mike’s fuming still but Quinn’s got her hand in his and she’s rubbing at his arm with her free one. Santana just keeps glancing between the guys and Coach Beiste.

This is exactly why she has been so terrified. The people at this school are so damn ignorant and she’s too sensitive about it all to defend herself. She can’t rope Brittany into this, she can’t subject her to the bullshit she has to deal with.

“Well cut it out or you’re not getting in,” She orders, “Now go! End of the line!”

Azimio and Karofsky just huff before moving on. Coach Beiste glances at Mike but he just gives her a nod before she’s heading back to the entrance.

It’s then that Brittany jogs back over with a cheek-bunching grin on her face, completely oblivious to what just happened. It instantly falls though when she notices Mike still relatively frustrated and Quinn trying to console him – even Santana doesn’t realize she still clenching her firsts until Brittany speaks.

“Hey,” Brittany greets softly and looks to Santana, “What’d I miss?”

Santana looks to Mike and she gives only the subtlest shakes of her head. She doesn’t want to get into this tonight. She doesn’t want her drama messing everything up so it’s best to keep Brittany in the dark.

It’s enough that he understands what she’s trying to say without saying so he only looks away.

“Nothing,” Santana smiles and hopes that Brittany doesn’t try questioning it. She nods ahead of them, “Oh look, the line is finally moving.”

Brittany spins just in time to see everyone begin to move forward and that’s the end of that.

\\\

Once they enter the gym, the group moves to find an empty table near the rest of the Cheerios and Titans. The lights are dim and there’s enough going on between everyone arriving and the music that Santana’s able to avoid Brittany’s curious stares.

“There they are!” Sam cheers once the group gets close enough. His date – Sugar – is hanging off his arm while she chats excitedly with one of the girls on the squad. He reaches over to bump fists with Mike and Brittany, “You guys look really great! You all do. Santana and Britt, you guys got the whole fire and ice thing going on. It’s so cool!”

Brittany and Santana glance at each other’s outfits – Brittany in blue and white, Santana in red.

They chuckle at the coincidence.

“Thanks Sam,” Santana answers then glances to Sugar who’s finally turned to acknowledge the newcomers, “Hey Sugar.”

“Hey Lopez. Hey Quinn, Mike,” Sugar waves then looks to Brittany and goes to fist bump her similar to Sam, “Sup Britt.”

Brittany just chuckles, “Hey Sugar.”

“Come sit,” Sugar says to them with the wave of her hand, “We saved you seats near us. Sammy? Can you and Mike grab us some punch?”

Santana rolls her eyes at Sugar’s bossiness. It’s nothing new to her; Sugar’s kind of known for being a brat but she’s mostly harmless. She slips you twenties for a multitude of reasons so no one really complains.

Sam just shrugs, “Sure thing.”

When the guys head off, Sugar leans on the table and lowers her voice, “So I heard that Missy Gunderson is in the lead for Homecoming Queen.”

“What?” Quinn gasps like it’s the most scandalous thing she’s ever heard.

Santana just leans back and shakes her head, “No way. That’s bullshit.”

“Who’s your source?” Quinn questions, “JBI?”

“You know I can’t reveal that,” Sugar replies, “Just know that they’re reputable.”

“So _not_ JBI?” Santana jokes.

Brittany watches the whole thing unfold and does her best to keep up. Santana notices and it has her itching to comment on how hard the blonde is concentrating. It also has her itching to tell her she’s kind of cute for it but she catches herself before that slips out.

“It isn’t JBI,” Sugar tells them, “But they always know the juiciest gossip so I trust it.”

“I don’t know about all that,” Santana says instead, “Remember the last time you _heard_ something? You were completely off.”

“True,” Quinn nods.

“Okay so I have like a 95% accuracy rating,” Sugar brushes off.

“Says who?” Santana laughs.

Sugar looks at her like she’s lost it, “People, duh. Who else?”

“I’m not believing a word you say,” Santana continues to laugh, “I don’t even know how you came up with that number, but if anyone’s going to win it’s either me or Quinn.”

Sugar just looks to Brittany, “Who are you voting for?”

Between Santana and Quinn, they know the answer but it’s a little funny seeing Brittany put on the spot like that.

“Uh well,” Brittany chuckles nervously, “I’ve already sworn my allegiance to Santana so…sorry, Quinn.”

Quinn fakes an eye roll, “I’m honestly heartbroken.”

Sugar just shrugs, “I’m just going to vote for myself like always.”

Santana only shakes her head as Mike and Sam return with their drinks.

“We did not think this through,” Mike jokes with Sam as they hand out cups of punch. They’re both extremely cautious of the red liquid sloshing around but manage not to spill a drop.

“I’ll go up again to grab ours,” Sam offers, “I think I saw some snacks over there too.”

“Thanks guys,” Brittany says before she’s offering to clink her cup with Santana’s.

A small smile tugs at Santana’s lips as she obliges.

“Cheers,” They say in unison before they take a sip.

This is why she decided to come with Brittany; this carefree feeling she emits is something Santana only hopes that she can absorb by just being around her. It seems to be working so far and she instantly feels much lighter than earlier.

\\\

“Hey, there’s Kurt!” Brittany cheers a moment later as her kicker takes the stage with some others she recognizes from the Glee Club. Her call out was loud enough for him to hear so he smiles shyly her way.

To Santana’s surprise, no one at the table starts to boo.

That’s usually what the Titans would do when one of their own does something like sing on stage in front of the whole school, but now that Brittany’s Team Captain a lot has changed. Santana eyes the team and none of them say a word – they just watch the performance quietly. She even sees Puck bobbing his head and again she’s surprised that no one’s calling him out for it either.

Maybe Brittany really is changing things around here?

When Kurt finishes his song, Brittany rises and starts to clap. She’s the only one at first, but then Mike and Sam join her along with the rest of the Titans then the entire room is clapping.

Santana just looks to Quinn to see if she’s seeing this too. They’re both pretty shocked.

“Go Kurt!” Brittany hollers then starts to pump her fist in the air.

Kurt just blushes through his thanks and scurries off the stage as Rachel comes out next. The Titans settle back down but Santana’s just staring at Brittany like she can’t believe her eyes.

“What?” Brittany chuckles.

Santana averts her gaze, “I – I’ve never seen the _Titans_ cheer for someone that’s in the Glee Club. That’s like…unheard of. Making fun of them is a core belief.”

“Well not anymore. At least, not for the Titans,” Brittany says simply, “Kurt’s apart of this team and my guys know how I feel about being supportive of him.”

“Wow,” Santana lets out a disbelieving chuckle, “There’s no way that would fly on the Cheerios.”

“Why not?” Brittany asks. Her tone isn’t challenging, she’s just genuinely curious and it makes Santana’s smile falter. “Aren’t you and Quinn Co-Captains? Don’t you have the power to change the culture of your squad if you want?”

Santana and Quinn exchange a look, because it’s not something they’ve ever thought of before. Coach Sylvester makes it hard to do anything different since she’s been coaching the Cheerios from the beginning of time. The culture isn’t something created by the squad or the captains, it was created by her. 

“No one on our squad is in the Glee Club,” Quinn comments but it doesn’t exactly answer Brittany’s questions.

“Maybe that’s because they never felt comfortable enough to join?” Brittany suggests, “Maybe that’s something you two can change before you graduate? Something positive to leave behind rather than the same hurtful cycle.”

Santana softens, suddenly feeling a little guilty.

She can admit that she hasn’t always been the nicest and she can try to make an excuse for it but really…there isn’t one. There are certain expectations she has to honor because of her social status, but the same kind of expectations are applied to Brittany too whether she knows it or not.

The only difference is that Brittany doesn’t let those expectations define her. She has no problem breaking tradition if that tradition sucks.

“And that’s why you’re gonna win!” Sam says proudly and goes to high five Brittany.

Brittany just gives him a playful eye roll before meeting him in the middle.

\\\

A while later, the Co-Captains and quarterback make their way over to cast their votes. The music is loud and upbeat; Quinn’s leading the way along the backside of the dancefloor with Santana and Brittany following side by side behind her.

Santana doesn’t miss the longing stares Brittany sends towards the crowd. She looks like she’s seconds away from running off to join them and it makes Santana chuckle.

“You know, you can go out there if you want.”

Brittany looks away to find Santana smirking, “Are you going to come with?”

“I don’t dance,” Santana tells her. She hears Quinn huff from in front of her and she can just picture Quinn’s hazel eyes rolling at her answer.

“I don’t believe that for a second,” Brittany jokes with her brow quirked, “I’ve seen the Cheerios’ routines. You dance.”

Santana rolls her eyes at Brittany’s teasing tone, “That’s not dancing.”

“Okay then,” Brittany laughs, “Show me what is.”

Santana’s eyes go wide at the challenge and it feels like her heart skips a beat too. Brittany’s giving her that famous mega-watt smile and Santana’s finding herself wavering the longer she stares. Of course she dances, but it’s different if she agrees to dance with Brittany.

Brittany’s her date and they’d definitely turn a few heads if they were to go out on the dancefloor together. She’s not sure if she wants that kind of attention though.

But…Brittany’s also her friend and _friends_ dance together all the time. It’s like the perfect loophole and that’s kind of their thing now, right? Skirting the lines between what Santana will allow and what she’s too afraid to try.

She feels like she’s at a crossroads and has both the devil and angel on her shoulders whispering away. One’s telling her there’s nothing to worry about while the other says she’s crazy if she thinks anyone’s going to make this easy for her.

Really, she just wants both of them to shut up already.

Meanwhile, Brittany’s still patiently waiting for a response so Santana just goes with her gut instinct – which happens to be a complete flirt apparently.

“I’m not sure you can handle that, Pierce,” Santana says.

Brittany just chuckles again, “Yeah, you’re probably right about that.”

Quinn looks over her shoulder and gives Santana an impressed nod. Santana doesn’t let it get to her head though as they come to the polling booth where Coach Sylvester sits at small table staring everyone down. 

“Hey Coach!” Quinn greets.

“Q, Sandbags,” Coach Sylvester gives them a nod before glancing at Brittany, “I don’t have a name for you yet.”

“It’s Brittany,” Brittany supplies. 

“Don’t care,” Coach Sylvester shrugs, “You ladies here to vote?”

“Yes Coach,” Santana and Quinn answer almost robotically. Brittany just nods.

“Alright then. Single file, I want eyes on each of you,” Coach instructs, “There isn’t going to be any funny business this year. Not on my watch!”

Quinn, Santana and Brittany do as they’re told and fall in line.

“What does she mean by funny business?” Brittany whispers to Santana while they wait their turn.

“Last year some idiot stuffed the ballot box with write-in votes for _Butt-Muncher McGee,_ ” Santana answers, “It was a whole ordeal.” 

“Pretty sure that was Puck,” Quinn adds.

Santana nods, “Probably.”

Coach Sylvester then beckons for Quinn to step up so that she can hand her a ballot before directing her into the booth. When the Coach looks back at the remaining girls, her eyes cut to Brittany.

“You,” She points out, “Lady Titan.”

Brittany stands taller, “Yes Coach?”

The Coach’s eyes narrow like she’s trying to analyze the quarterback.

“I saw that no-handed cartwheel you landed at the Pep Rally yesterday,” Coach informs her, “Your execution needs some work.”

Santana glances up at Brittany but she continues to stand as stoic as ever.

“Thank you for the feedback,” Brittany says politely just as Quinn exits the booth.

“If you were on the Cheerios I could turn you into a champion,” Coach replies then looks to Santana, “Come and grab your ballot, Lopez.”

Santana nods and does as she’s told again but she much rather stand and watch whatever’s going down between the Coach and Brittany.

Once inside, she sets her ballot down on the counter and reaches for the pen. It’s weird; she has never really given too much thought when it comes to voting. She just checks off her name and whatever Titan is up for King without a second thought purely because she never cared about who became King just as long as she was Queen.

This time though, the only Titan there is Brittany.

Seeing the blonde’s name diagonally from her own makes her feel…fluttery inside for all sorts of reasons – reasons that she doesn’t want to unpack at the moment. Most of the time these things are just popularity contests, but for once Santana sees someone on the ballot that actually _deserves_ to win.

And God, she’s really hoping that this isn’t some elaborate prank.

She wants to believe Quinn and Sam so bad, but a part of her can’t shake the fact that the students of McKinley have a history of being assholes. If it ended up taking a turn of the worse, Santana doesn’t know what she’d do…maybe trying kicking everyone’s ass?

She’s not sure how far she’d get though.

“What do you say, Blondie?” Santana hears the Coach ask, “Being a Cheerio is quite the privilege…”

Santana’s brows rise at the offer.

It’s rare that Coach approaches anyone so Santana quickly checks off her boxes: a vote for herself and a vote for Brittany. When she slips the ballot into the box and exits, she finds Brittany smiling politely at Coach Sylvester once again.

“Cheerleading isn’t really my thing,” Brittany tells her as she steps up to take a ballot, “Thanks for the offer though.”

Coach Sylvester grimaces and gives a nod to the booth, “Go.”

“She’s so pissed,” Quinn whispers through her smirk as Santana joins her.

“No one turns her down,” Santana replies, “She doesn’t usually offer spots either.”

“Yeah,” Quinn nods then there’s a pause before her tone turns playful, “So can we talk about how you two were _shamelessly_ flirting earlier? You can’t even deny it because I saw that face you pulled. Are you really not going to dance with her?”

“Oh my God. I’m not doing this,” Santana groans although her cheeks instantly flush. She avoids Quinn’s stares by walking away.

“Santana. Santana!” Quinn calls after her, “Stop walking away from me, we have to wait for Brittany. Santana!”

\\\

Santana ends up finding an even better loophole and wanders out onto the dancefloor with Quinn, Sugar and Brittany where they dance together in an awkward little circle. She’s probably the only one that thinks it’s awkward though, everyone else is having a blast. Quinn’s doing her usual sway from side to side, Sugar looks like she’s being electrocuted and Brittany’s…just perfect.

Seriously, the way she moves is so fluid and she actually has some rhythm. It’s hard for Santana to keep her gaze moving. If she lingers too long on Brittany, she’s sure those moves would have her hypnotized. All in all though, she really is having fun dancing with everyone. This night might go down as one of the best she’s had all school year.

“Attention students,” Principal Figgins announces as the song fades, “Will the candidates for King and Queen gather on the stage.”

Suddenly Santana’s weirdly nervous again, not only for her but for Brittany too. When she looks to the blonde by her side, Brittany’s just giving her a lopsided grin.

“Good luck,” She whispers with a soft touch to Santana’s shoulder before she’s making her way to the stage.

Santana gives her a single nod before she glances to Quinn who’s gesturing for her to follow in the opposite direction.

It feels like they’ve done this a million times before but the nerves have never been like this. Usually she stands proud with her chin held up high as she awaits the winners to be announce. Usually she isn’t afraid because when you’re popular there isn’t much to be afraid of; you’re at the top of the food chain, none of them can touch you.

But again, this year is different.

They’ve seen her crack before. They know she has a weakness, everyone knows it aside from Brittany. Still, she does her best to muster all the courage she has and finds her place beside Quinn and Missy.

“I love your dress Santana,” Missy compliments but Santana can tell by her tone that she’s being fake like always. It makes her eyes roll.

“Wish I could say the same for you,” Santana quips, “I see we’re recycling last year’s dress.”

Missy’s jaw drops and the fake niceness is gone, “Are you kidding me? I had this flown in from New York. It’s custom made.”

“You should ask for a refund,” Santana smirks; even that little bit of banter has her feeling somewhat normal.

“The votes are in,” Principal Figgins says flatly, “This is the moment you’ve all been waiting for where we announce our Homecoming King and also Queen.”

Santana feels her hands go cold and clammy despite the hot spotlights they stand beneath. She swears Figgins is talking even slower than usual and it can’t just be for the dramatic effect.

She chances a glance towards the other end of the stage where Brittany stands between Rick and Scott. Santana thinks Brittany might look a little anxious too, because her usual mega-watt smile isn’t as big and bright.

“Roll the drum, please,” Principal Figgins instructs as he opens the first envelope, “This year’s Homecoming King is…”

Santana finds herself holding her breath at the long pause. She glances to Brittany again then back at the crowd like she’s trying to guess what Figgins is about to say, but their expressions are unreadable.

“Brittany S. Pierce!”

Everyone applauds; the Titans are the loudest – Santana can hear Mike and Sam over all of them – as Brittany steps up to be coronated. Her cheeks are a little pink but her smile is back to being cheek-bunching and bright.

“PIERCE! PIERCE! PIERCE!” Mike and Sam chant in unison while the other Titans pound their fists against the table in perfect rhythm.

“Quiet down,” Principal Figgins tells them but they keep on going for a few more seconds until Brittany’s waving for them to settle down.

Santana’s surprised; not because Brittany won, but because it doesn’t seem to be a prank.

One look at the crowd has Santana’s mind changing. She watches the edges of the stage for anything out of the ordinary like a group of Puck Heads with extra large slushies or Karofsky and Azimio up to no good, but no one is there.

The only ones that look annoyed are Rick and Scott and the guys from the Hockey team, but they always look like that.

“Congratulations, Miss Pierce,” Principal Figgins says as Brittany does a little curtsey before the crowd.

Santana finds herself smiling proudly as Brittany does her best royal wave before the crown is placed upon her head.

“She really did it,” Quinn whispers to Santana.

Santana’s still too surprised to say anything.

Typically, nominees that attend the dance together usually end up winning together as well so to see Brittany win has Santana feeling giddy. It’s a bittersweet feeling though because this is exactly what she wants, but it would also make her the Queen to Brittany’s King and that both excites and terrifies her.

Then she gets to thinking…maybe the prank isn’t on Brittany?

Maybe the prank is on _Santana_ instead?

“And now,” Principal Figgins continues as Brittany takes a step back, “Your McKinley High Homecoming Queen is…”

Santana’s heart is racing. It would make sense; Brittany’s not phased by being nominated King but the whole school knows what it would do to Santana if they made her Queen.

She’d have a total meltdown!

She’s waiting for a vat of pig’s blood to be thrown on her like in Carrie or the cold whiplash of a slushie facial, but then Figgins is announcing the winner and it’s a weird mix of relief and disappointment when she finds that…it isn’t her.

“Quinn Fabray!”

Santana can hear the surprised gasp from her best friend as the crowd erupts. She feels like all eyes are on her, watching and waiting for a reaction. She gets that same feeling she had just before the Pep Rally like the walls are closing in on her and she can’t breathe.

This is it. This is the end of her reign as one of McKinley’s biggest and baddest.

She feels cold fingers wrap around her forearm and it pulls her from her thoughts.

“Santana,” She hears Quinn mumble.

Santana can feel herself smiling but she knows Quinn can see through it. It isn’t genuine because she can feel the tears prick at the corners of her eyes. 

“I’m – “

“Stop,” Santana tells her even if her ears are ringing. She can just hear the apology forming and she doesn’t want to hear it, “I rather it go to one of us then that stuck-up bitch.”

Missy Gunderson scoffs at them.

“Miss Fabray?” Principal Figgins prompts but the two continue to hang on to each other.

Quinn shakes her head, “It should be you. _I_ voted for _you_.”

Santana feels her throat tighten, “Don’t worry about me. Go get your crown, Q.”

Quinn nods and puts on her pageant smile as she approaches Figgins.

“Congratulations, Miss Fabray,” Principal Figgins says as the crown is placed upon Quinn’s head.

Santana claps the hardest, but it doesn’t cover up the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

“And now, behold the tradition of our Homecoming King and Queen sharing their first dance,” Principal Figgins announces as the Glee Club takes the stage.

The nominees are directed off stage while the students on the dancefloor create a circular opening for Brittany and Quinn. Santana watches longingly as they make their way down the steps.

She joins Mike, Sam and Sugar standing at the front of the opening as the band starts up with the first chords of Miguel’s _Pineapple Skies_. Artie’s on lead vocals and Santana would be in awe of how good he actually sounds if she were able to focus on anything else but her best friend and her date dancing together.

And maybe Quinn’s right, maybe it _should_ be Santana out there but Santana doesn’t know if she would be brave enough. Quinn obviously has nothing to worry about, no one’s ever questioned _her_ sexuality before.

But if it were Santana there instead? She can just hear the questions now: _So Santana really does play for another team?_

And if she were to say yes, what would happen? Would she endure the same kind of treatment everyone else who is different endures? Would they make her life a living hell like they did last year? 

“It’s so cool Britt won,” Mike says to her while they watch Quinn and Brittany groove to the music, “She’s awesome.”

“Let’s hope that’s the only reason why she won,” Santana mutters without thinking. A part of her is still paranoid that something bigger is going on and she keeps an eye out for anything suspicious.

Mike frowns though, “What do you mean?”

Santana shrugs as she watches Quinn try to twirl Brittany, “You’ve seen how people at this school treat those that are different. Just look at Karofsky and Azimio earlier. How do you know they didn’t do this?”

Mike instantly softens, “Those guys are jerks, Santana, but I promise they have nothing to do with Brittany winning.”

Santana looks up at the sound of him being so certain.

“Everyone on the team agreed that she should win,” Mike explains, “We all voted for her, couldn’t have a Puck Head as King, but it’s more than that. She’s our quarterback.”

Santana’s lips part but she says nothing.

Once again, she let her own insecurities take her on a joyride.

“Plus, you’ve got to admit she’s a pretty cool person,” Mike shrugs as Quinn lets out a laugh at Brittany trying to do the robot, “Maybe she’s starting to change people’s minds about what it means to be different? Maybe they’re starting to see that it’s okay?”

Santana bites her lip. Maybe Boy Chang is on to something?

“Well…they could’ve at least amended her title,” She replies, “Just because she plays football doesn’t mean she wants to be a King. Female quarterbacks can be Queens too.”

“True,” Mike nods, “But she doesn’t look too bothered by it.” 

They both continue to watch Brittany and Quinn dance together. At least it’s an upbeat song so they don’t have to do the whole awkward slow dance thing. They both look like they’re having a blast though and Santana finds herself wishing she could be that carefree. 

“She really does look beautiful though,” Mike comments dreamily.

“Yeah she does,” Santana whispers with her eyes still on Brittany.

He glances to his side and quickly amends his previous statement, “Quinn, I mean.”

Santana only smiles, “Yeah. She does too.”

She doesn’t realize what she’s said until Mike’s raising a brow at her and there’s a small smirk starting to grow.

Santana narrows her eyes at him, “Don’t say a word.”

All Mike does is gesture that his lips are sealed before turning away.

Santana really isn’t worried about him. Of all the guys at McKinley, Mike’s probably the most decent one there is so she knows she can trust that he’ll keep her slip-up to himself.

Still, she can’t believe the slip-up happened in the first place.

It’s probably the first time she’s ever voiced her attraction for Brittany out loud and now that she’s said it, it’s harder for her to deny. It also makes it harder for her to watch Brittany dance with Quinn.

Santana recognizes that she’s becoming a little jealous and immediately feels guilty about it. It’s not Quinn’s fault that McKinley chose her, that’s not why she feels jealous. It’s because she’s not the one still struggling to accept a huge part of herself and that makes Santana feel even worse.

She’s just so tired of caring too much about what everyone’s thinking about her.

\\\\\\\\\

Shortly after the honorary first dance, Brittany is quickly swept up in people wanting to congratulate her. Kurt is one of the first and he practically launches himself into her arms for a big hug.

“You make a magnificent King, Britt,” He compliments before he pulls away to bow.

Brittany giggles at the display then Mercedes and Tina are congratulating her next. Before she knows it, she’s surrounded by Titans and Cheerios and other students she recognizes from class. She’s polite and thanks them all for their votes – even if she’s still trying to wrap her head around the fact that so many of them chose her – but she’s quick to notice a particular someone missing from the crowd.

Brittany’s able to dodge the rest of the students as their attention is drawn to Quinn who has pulled Mike to her side. She bumps into Sam and Sugar as she starts to look around.

“Sorry. Have you seen Santana?” Brittany asks, “I saw her standing with Mike just a minute ago.”

Sugar only shrugs, seemingly unbothered or bored, then goes over to talk to Quinn. Sam scratches his head and looks around too.

“Sorry Britt,” He says, “I didn’t even notice. Maybe she’s gone to the bathroom?”

Brittany nods, but she has a funny feeling that Santana won’t be there.

She saw the look on her face when they were on stage, it was like Santana was about to puke up there. Brittany didn’t get it; wasn’t Santana meant to be a pro at this stuff? Could it be stage fright? No, that’s silly. She’s a Cheerio, she performs for crowds all the time so there’s no way she’s terrified of the spotlight.

It has to be something else and that has her worried.

“I’m going to go check on her,” Brittany tells him.

“Sure thing,” Sam smiles before going to join the rest of his friends surrounding Quinn and Mike.

\\\

Brittany actually finds Santana rather quickly. She was on her way to check the bathroom when she noticed someone sitting outside in the courtyard. She recognized Santana’s red dress through the foggy glass of the window and slowly made her way out to join her.

What she doesn’t expect to see is the cigarette in her hand; she didn’t think Santana smoked.

They’re still on school property so to see Santana being so open about it kind of shocks Brittany, but at the same time it doesn’t surprise her at all. With Santana’s _bad girl_ reputation, Brittany wouldn’t expect anything less. Whatever makes you look _cool_ , right?

“There you are,” She says in order to make her presence known. She sees Santana flinch and lower the cigarette from view. It makes Brittany chuckle; as if that would be enough to hide the fact that’s she’s out here smoking.

Santana looks over her shoulder as Brittany comes around to sit on the stone bench across from her.

“Hey Pierce.”

Brittany smirks, “You know I have first name, right?”

“I know.”

“And yet, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say it.”

Santana matches Brittany’s smirk before taking another drag, “Nice crown.”

Brittany touches it like she forgot it was there then shrugs, “It’s alright. I’ve seen better ones at the party store.”

Santana gives her a wry chuckle before exhaling. Brittany’s quick to pick up on the tension but she can’t determine what’s the matter.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Santana answers but her voice cracks. It looks like she didn’t expect it too and quickly averts her gaze and focuses on taking another drag.

Brittany ducks her head and softens her tone, “You sure?”

There’s a deep sigh, “No.”

Santana’s still looking everywhere else but Brittany. The blonde isn’t deterred though; eye contact is spooky especially when you’re feeling vulnerable.

“What’s up?” Brittany asks trying to sound casual.

She doesn’t give an answer for a long time. They just sit in a heavy silence until Santana has to stub out her cigarette. Now that her hands aren’t busy, they wind together in her lap.

“I haven’t been very honest with you,” Santana admits so softly Brittany almost didn’t hear her.

“Okay?”

She has never seen Santana look so small and it has her crossing the short distance between them without even thinking about it just so she can sit closer. She’s not sure what Santana could possibly be lying about, but she’s an understanding person. Whatever’s going on, Brittany just wants to show Santana that she can be a good friend.

Santana takes a shaky breath and twines her fingers so tightly together that her knuckles begin to pale. Brittany so badly wants to reach out and ease them from the harsh grip, but that’s sure to be overstepping some boundary. 

“So,” Santana breathes out. Brittany watches her lips part before she laughs dryly at how the words seem to get stuck, “Fuck.”

“It’s okay,” Brittany whispers encouragingly, “Whatever it is, it’s okay.”

It’s then that Santana finally looks up at her and it makes Brittany’s breath hitch. Her brown eyes are tinged red and they flicker between Brittany’s like she’s searching for something there.

Then she’s licking her lips and preparing to speak again.

“So, There’s another shaky breath and an even longer pause then she says, “I’m gay.”

“ _Oh_ ,” Brittany exhales without thinking. She instantly blushes because that’s not what she wanted to say but she’s so surprised that it was all that came out. Santana’s still looking on edge so Brittany quickly gives her a reassuring smile, “Wow. That’s great, Santana.”

Something shifts for the brunette and it’s like a sigh of relief hits her. The stiffness in her shoulders ease and the anguish on her face starts to fade.

“I can see why people struggle with finding the right thing to say,” Brittany jokes in attempt to lighten the mood. Her cheeks feel hot, “I’m sorry, I’ve never been on the other side of this before. I wish I could’ve thought of something cooler to say.”

That seems to ease Santana yet again, even a small smile starts to form.

“But seriously,” Brittany continues as she ducks down to look Santana in the eye, “That’s really awesome, Santana. Thank you for telling me.”

Santana’s small smile falters as she shies away from Brittany’s gaze, “I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner.”

“Don’t be,” Brittany assures her, “That’s a silly thing to be sorry about. You should tell people whenever you feel comfortable enough. This is about you.”

Santana bites her lip, “I guess I’m not use to that as an option.”

That makes Brittany wonder, but she doesn’t go for a deeper dive.

“Well I appreciate you telling me. It’s a brave thing to do.”

“Brave?” Santana scoffs, “I just wanted to tell you before someone else did.”

 _So others know?_ Brittany wonders.

“Well even then,” Brittany replies instead, “I’d still wait for you to tell me yourself. I’d never want to assume, not about something like this. I know how it feels and it kind of sucks.”

Santana looks up at her through her long lashes, “So you are…? Am I allowed to ask?”

Brittany chuckles at how unsure Santana is – it’s a little adorable – but she quiets down and gives her a nod, “I’m bisexual.”

“Okay,” Santana nods too, “I’m…I’m sorry if that was insensitive. I don’t really have much experience when it comes to this as you can probably tell. I’m not friends with anyone else who’s… _you know_.”

“Gay?” Brittany supplies easily. She softens when she sees how the word makes Santana tense, “You can say it, it’s not a dirty word unless you make it one.”

Santana smiles at that, “I think I’m still trying to get use to saying it out loud. Shit, I’m still trying to get use to saying it in my _head_.”

“I get it,” Brittany chuckles, “I’m sure the people at this school don’t make it easy for you to be yourself, huh?”

Santana sighs, “Something like that. You’re probably the last to know.”

“Okay,” Brittany goes to bump her shoulder with Santana’s playfully, “You don’t have to rub it in. I know my _gaydar_ isn’t the best.”

Santana chuckles and it makes Brittany feel a little accomplished, but the feeling fades when Santana gets swept up in a deep thought.

“Why do I get the feeling that there’s more to this?” Brittany asks hesitantly.

“Because there is,” Santana answers, “But I don’t want to get into it tonight.”

Brittany respects that, “Is that why you’re out here?”

Santana shrugs, “Kind of.”

“Okay,” Brittany says and goes to straighten up. She opts for a lighter tone, “Well, we don’t have to talk about it then. We can just sit out here if you want? Talk about how cute Mike and Quinn are together?”

Santana glances her way with a quirked brow, “Did you see how they were holding hands earlier?”

“Uh, yeah!” Brittany beams, “The sparks were totally flying before I came looking for you.”

Santana chuckles and after a moment she says, “Sorry about that. Didn’t mean to ditch you.”

“It’s all good,” Brittany shrugs as she looks up at the dark sky. A couple stars twinkle above and it makes her smile, “It’s kind of nice out here.”

Santana nods and they fall into a long, comfortable silence. Brittany’s fine with it, it’s a nice break from the crowd that was forming around her inside. It’s nice to just sit with someone.

“You know,” Santana starts quietly, “I’m out I guess but sometimes it feels like I’m not. It feels like I’m still that scared little girl hiding in the closet.”

Brittany frowns at the brokenness.

“I’m just _so_ over being afraid all the time,” Santana grumbles, “It sucks pretending to be someone I’m not. It sucks feeling like an embarrassment.”

The last word is what confuses Brittany the most, “An embarrassment?”

“Yeah,” Santana shrugs and she looks so helpless again, “I just…I wanted to prove to everyone tonight that I still got it you know? So what if last year was shitty for me? I can still rule this place because nothing has changed. I’m still the same person.”

Brittany’s questions are piling up but the way Santana’s voice cracks again grabs her attention.

“I just can’t believe I lost,” Santana croaks and Brittany swears she can see tears in Santana’s eyes, “After all of that, I couldn’t even win a damn crown.”

Brittany frowns at the sound of Santana’s bitter laugh and she’s trying so hard to bat away the tears before Brittany can see them fall. It’s like she can’t let Brittany see her in such a vulnerable state and it breaks her heart.

Brittany doesn’t think before she reaches up to remove the crown from her head.

“Take mine then,” She offers.

Santana goes to argue but her words fall short when Brittany places the crown on Santana’s head instead. She smiles at how it’s a little crooked and a touch too big.

“Looks good,” Brittany compliments.

“I – I can’t take this,” Santana says as she reaches up to remove it, “This is yours, you earned it.”

Brittany stops her hand from moving any higher, “I don’t mind giving it away, especially when it means so much more to you.”

Santana’s lips part and twitch to form a smile at how Brittany’s hand lingers atop of hers but then her brows furrow as she pulls away, “I wish it didn’t.”

“Yeah,” Brittany nods, “But in this moment while we’re young and dumb and care about silly things, it _does_ and that’s okay. It isn’t just a crown for you. It’s acceptance.”

Santana looks at her like she’s surprised by what she hears; Brittany is too if she’s being honest.

Santana catches another falling tear with the back of her hand and lets out a embarrassed laugh, “God, this is so stupid. Why do I have to care so much about what everyone thinks of me?”

“One day you won’t,” Brittany assures her as she reaches into her blazer. She finds a couple tissues there and offers them to Santana.

“Thanks,” She whispers behind a watery smile.

Brittany just nods, “I think it’s only natural to care, especially here. _Everyone_ cares way too much about what everyone thinks of them. It would drive anyone a little crazy I think.”

Santana dabs beneath her eyes, “It sucks.”

“Yeah,” Brittany chuckles, “It kind of does.”

“Were you always like this?” Santana wonders while she tries to dry her tears, “So sure of who you are?”

“I was being called a tomboy from when I was like 6,” Brittany jokes lightly, “People have been trying to tell me who I am and fit me into a box my whole life. I wasn’t very sure of myself for a long time.”

“Oh,” Santana frowns.

“I’m not an angry person but it always made me a little mad inside and that stuck with me as I grew up,” Brittany tells her, “I only made it even worse when I started playing sports in school. It felt like everyone was labelling me before I could even explore who I was.”

Santana sighs, “I can relate.”

“I guess after awhile I got tired of being so annoyed by it all,” Brittany says, “People are always going to talk, they’ll always have their own ideas about who you are, and you can’t really change that. What you _can_ do is change how you react to it.”

“Makes sense,” Santana replies.

“Maybe I grew a thicker skin or something or I finally became immune to listening to what everyone else had to say about me,” Brittany continues with a shrug, “I stopped focusing on them and started to focus on me. I embraced all my awesome and once people saw that, they embraced it too. I was being the authentic _me_ and I’ve been told by at least one person here that it’s kind of inspiring.”

Santana smirks at the sound of Brittany trying to joke with her again, “Was it Kurt?”

“Yeah,” Brittany giggles.

Santana just shakes her head as she takes a steadying breath.

“I’m sorry about this,” She says with wave at herself, “I didn’t really anticipate having a whole breakdown at Homecoming. It’s probably not what you signed up for.”

“I signed up for a night out with a friend,” Brittany assures her with a smile, “It’s been good to me so far. What about you? You know, aside from the obvious.”

Santana chuckles, “It’s been good to me too.”

“Sweet,” Brittany beams then leans back to look up at the night sky as they settle into another bout of silence.

Brittany’s just replaying their conversation in her head.

She learned a lot about Santana tonight and maybe the most important thing she learned is that Santana is pretty sensitive at heart. It’s so unlike the persona she puts on at school around everyone else but it makes sense, because that’s the role she feels the most comfortable playing.

It’s no wonder she’s struggling to adapt.

When Brittany glances at Santana, she finds the brunette staring up at the sky too. Her crown still sits perfectly tilted on Santana’s head and it makes Brittany feel all fuzzy and warm inside. She hopes that she’s able to offer Santana some type of comfort whether its her words or by giving away her crown, because Santana doesn’t deserve to feel so horrible about herself.

Brittany hopes that maybe in some small way she has shown Santana that the things she feels are normal and she isn’t alone and if she needs someone Brittany can be that person for her too.

But just for good measure, Brittany adds one last thing. 

“None of this is really matters – you know – like in the grand scheme of things,” Brittany mentions and it has Santana looking back at her, “Years from now when everyone’s moved on, no one’s going to remember who won what. It’s all a stupid game with stupid prizes and none of it is going to matter once you graduate. At least that’s how I look at it.”

Santana softens, “You’re kind of a genius, Pierce.”

Brittany doesn’t think anyone’s ever called her that before and the smile she wears shows it.

“Do you want to go back in?” Santana asks awhile later, “We’ve been out here long enough. You probably want to get back in there.”

“Only if you want to,” Brittany shrugs but as soon as she says that she remembers the horde of people still wanting to talk to her. Maybe she would rather run far, far away instead?

“I usually don’t stay the entire time,” Santana tells her.

Brittany quirks a brow and jokes, “Too cool?”

“Maybe,” Santana smirks, “You want to get a coffee instead?”

“A coffee?” Brittany laughs, “It’s nearly 9:30.”

“What?” Santana teases, “Getting close to your bedtime?”

“Maybe,” Brittany quips before rising to her feet, “Is the Lima Bean even open at this time?”

Santana shakes her head, “I know place.”

Brittany just shrugs before holding her hand out to Santana, “Let’s go then before one of us turns into a pumpkin.”

“If it’s only 9:30 I think we’ll be safe,” Santana giggles as she lets Brittany pull her to stand, “I’ll just let Quinn know we’re going first.”

“Okay sure,” Brittany starts to walk towards the door when Santana catches her by the wrist.

“Uh…you might want to wear this so no one thinks I stole it from you in a jealous rage,” Santana says jokingly as she pulls off the crown.

“I think I could take you,” Brittany laughs then bends down a little so that Santana can place the crown back on Brittany’s head. She makes a few adjustments so that it sits just right before tucking a stray hair behind Brittany’s ear.

“Perfect,” Santana compliments as she pulls away.

Brittany only blushes as Santana opens the door for them both.

\\\\\\\\\

As soon as Santana told Quinn that she and Brittany were leaving early to get a coffee, she swore Quinn was going to pass out from all the excitement. She ignored all of Quinn’s usual comments in favor of teasing her about Mike and how _they’ll_ be spending their night instead.

That shut Quinn up real quick.

\\\

Now they’re at Elliott’s Fairgrounds – a café Santana found halfway through her Sophomore year – and they’re chatting away over a couple of hot chocolates. Aside from some old guy that looks to be asleep in one of the arm chairs near the fireplace and the two baristas behind the counter, they’ve got the place to themselves.

“Woah,” Brittany breathed out when they first entered the small townhouse that had been converted into a cozy café, “This is so much better than the Lima Bean.”

Unlike their competitor, Elliott’s Fair Grounds was a lot more down to earth and gave off such a laid back vibe. The owner – Elliott – prides himself on creating a safe space for all kinds of people and that’s really what drew Santana in. Most of the time the place is filled with students from the local community college busy studying, but on a Saturday night it’s usually empty – just how she liked it.

Brittany’s still wearing her crown and Santana can’t get over how the blonde doesn’t give a single fuck about it. Not that any of the staff here would ever tease her, but Brittany just carries on like usual and Santana kind of loves that about her.

“It’s so cool being in a café at night,” Brittany comments as she swipes her finger through the whipped cream atop her mug, “It’s like an alternate universe or something.”

“Yeah. No one here to bother me,” Santana chuckles before admitting, “The Lima Bean can get a little crowded. I use to come here all the time last year.” 

“Why’d you stop?” Brittany asks as she cleans off the tip of her finger.

“Uhh…” Santana swallows dryly and glances at the baristas behind the counter just so she doesn’t stare but it only further reminds her of the answer. She’s already spent so much of their night talking about herself so she opts for something simple, “I guess I’ve just been busy.”

Brittany seems satisfied with the answer, “Well maybe this can be our new thing then? We can like…come here once a week or something?”

Santana smiles at the thought of doing something like this together on a weekly basis.

“Yeah,” She nods, “I can be down with that.”

\\\

After the drinks and the conversations, Santana gets Brittany home at a respectable time even though Brittany said she didn’t really have a curfew. Santana was instantly jealous – if she isn’t home by 11 on the dot, her parents would kick her ass.

That had Brittany laughing as they pulled up to the Pierce residence.

“Well you’ve got about 15 minutes left,” Brittany jokes, “Think you’ll make it?”

Santana chuckles, “Totally. I don’t live too far from here.”

“Okay good,” Brittany grins, “I don’t want to be the reason you’re getting into trouble.”

“So considerate,” Santana teases and then they fall into a _moment_.

Santana recognizes it the second it happens.

They’re alone in her car at the end of their time together at Homecoming, Santana knows what usually happens next from her past experiences. This is where the guy would put his heavy hand on her thigh and lean in for a messy goodnight kiss. Some dates were better kissers than others – for example, Puck even if he’s an ass – and Santana would oblige because that’s what she’s supposed to do.

Girls kiss boys, boys kiss girls.

Only, that’s not always the case because here she is and she’s not sure what to do. Brittany’s her friend but the things she feels in the pit of her stomach aren’t feelings she gets around a friend. She tries to imagine that it’s Quinn in the passenger seat and they’d usually hug before she leaves.

Is she allowed to do that with Brittany? Should she ask? Is that lame as hell? Probably.

“Wow, you are really spinning those gears,” Brittany chuckles which has Santana going beet red in an instant.

“I – I was going to tell you something but I couldn’t remember what it was,” Santana lies.

“Right,” Brittany nods, “Well, text me if you do. I’m going to hug you now because it looks like you need it.”

“Oh,” Santana chuckles at how easy Brittany makes it all seem as the blonde leans over the middle console. Her long arms wrap around Santana in a warm hug and it’s hard for the brunette to keep from humming at how nice it feels.

“Thanks for a great night,” Brittany says softly and her breath tickles Santana’s ear, “Thanks for telling me about you too.”

Santana’s heart feels so full it’s about to burst. Brittany’s probably the best date she’s ever had. No one’s ever shown her this kind of kindness and understanding. She actually doesn’t want this to end so soon now.

“Thanks for listening,” Santana ends up saying in reply as Brittany pulls away.

“Well goodnight, Santana,” Brittany says as she goes for the door. She gives her a soft smile, “Get home safe.”

Santana just nods, “Goodnight.”

\\\

It’s not until Santana’s at home getting ready for bed that she notices she hasn’t stopped smiling since. Even as she’s brushing her teeth and she has a mouthful of suds, her grin is still ever so prevalent.

It only grows bigger when she sees her phone light up on her night stand. She walks over to check it while her toothbrush is still hanging out of her mouth. There’s a text from Brittany and she’s quick to open it.

_From Brittany – Here’s all of those pics we took earlier. You can do whatever you want with them, I don’t mind. I think we look pretty good, don’t you?_

Santana stands there for a moment admiring each and every one of the pictures attached to her text and she can’t help but agree. Brittany’s beautiful and that smile…man, Santana hasn’t seen a prettier one in her whole life. She looks pretty good herself too, but for once she’s not looking too much at herself in these pictures.

They kind of make a good-looking pair in these and maybe she even sets her favorite one as Brittany’s profile picture in her phone but she doubts anyone needs to know about that.

It’ll just be her little secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Just a lil fun fact: Elliott's Fair Grounds is a real place in my hometown and I love it so much. Come through on tumblr if you want a visual.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Thank you for all the reviews last chapter! I've actually had this one finished for a few days now since I've been writing lots to cope with the Steelers loss earlier this week LOL. Like the WMHS Titans, I think they needed the L to get their heads back in the game so hopefully we'll see a win this week. Enjoy!

The late night visits to Elliott's quickly becomes Brittany's favorite part of the week. Neither of them ever order any coffee since it's always so late by the time they get there, but hot chocolates do just fine.

After about two weeks, they've yet to run out of new things to talk about. They just sip on their drinks by the fire and chat about whatever comes to mind first. It's funny how easy they get along; sometimes it feels like they've been friends forever and that's probably the best part of all.

\\\

"So," Santana hums after licking whipped cream from her top lip, "How'd you start playing football?"

Brittany chuckles at the random question; just before they had been talking about what they'd take with them if they were stranded on a deserted island. Santana said she'd bring a survival expert because _no way I'm doing all the work myself_ while Brittany thought a phone would be a good idea – she didn't think about there not being any service out there though.

"How anybody starts playing, I guess?" Brittany shrugs as she cups her mug, "I just tried out."

Santana gives her a look before she smirks, "No I mean, what made you like it enough that you wanted to play on a team?"

"Oh!" Brittany has to stop and think, "I've always liked sports, I think. I like being active. When I was younger my parents couldn't get me to sit still. Sports were a way I could use up all of that energy. I was such a handful, Pete can be like that too."

"Really?" Santana looks surprised, "He's always so chill the times I've seen him."

Brittany snickers, "That's probably because he has a teeny tiny crush on you and you make him all shy."

"He does not," Santana laughs, "So did your parents make you try out for everything or did you have a choice?"

"A little of both, I think?" Brittany says, "My parents always encouraged me to try new things. They never really _made_ me do anything. If I ended up not liking a certain sport, they let me quit. I think football is the most challenging for me though. That's probably why I like it so much."

Santana nods before going to take another sip, "That's really cool that your parents are so supportive of you."

"Yeah. What about you?" Brittany wonders, "How'd you get into cheering?"

Santana averts her gaze to her drink, "That's not really an interesting story. I did it solely for the popularity boost. I learned early on that getting into the right clique is the only way to make it through high school so Quinn and I joined as soon as we could. Besides, I doubt my dad would never let me get into contact sports – he's not a fan of the injury risks."

"I get that," Brittany nods, "Do you like it at least? Cheering?"

"I do now," Santana shrugs, "At the start, not so much. The Captain before us was such a bitch, she made our lives a living hell. Coach Sylvester is kind of a tyrant too but I adapted to her. The uniform makes up for all the trouble though, it's like wearing armor. No one can usually touch you and so many people are suckers for the skirt."

Brittany shakes her head at the way Santana starts to smirk, "I bet you've broken many hearts with that one."

Santana laughs, "Not on purpose."

Brittany giggles along with her and they spend the rest of their time talking about whatever comes next until their cups are empty.

Brittany loves this part; the whole getting to know someone better. She was worried she'd never get the chance with Santana, but she's seen a shift in her demeanor since Homecoming. The Co-Captain is still guarded but Brittany can tell that she's trying to be better and that's all that really matters to her.

\\\

The next day, Brittany's at school going through her regular routine of trying to avoid the stares.

Since being crowned Homecoming King, she has a lot more people coming up to talk to her – either about the game on Friday (which the Titans won) or how awesome they think she is. It's super weird having the whole school treat you like some sort of celebrity, but she rather have that then the constant dirty looks the guys on the Hockey team still give her and all the other Titans.

When she gets to her final class of the day she finds Santana is just getting settled in her seat. Ms. Holliday lingers by the door and hands Brittany her usual warm-up activity as she greets her.

"Thanks Ms. Holliday," Brittany says in passing before she comes to her shared desk and shrugs off her bookbag, "Hey Santana."

"Hi," Santana greets with a smile before nodding to her worksheet, "Wanna do this together?"

"Yeah, sure!" Brittany grins.

"While you guys work on that," Ms. Holliday announces as she begins her rounds around the classroom, "I'm going to start handing back your papers that took me _forever_ to grade. That's the last time I assign anything longer than a two page limit."

Brittany groans; she's been dreading this day for awhile.

English has never been her best subject and she particularly struggles with the writing assignments which happens to be her first _big_ assessment of the semester. She remembers Santana offering to help, but Brittany never took her up on it. They weren't really friends at the time and she's a little closed off when it comes to studying with others.

When Ms. Holliday comes around to slide a paper face down on Brittany's desk, it takes her a moment before she's hesitantly peeling back the corner to reveal the grade.

"Crap," Brittany mutters when she sees the bright red _C-_ along with an array of red markings littering the page.

"Not what you were expecting?" Ms. Holliday asks softly.

"Not quite," Brittany frowns as she starts to read her teacher's comments. None of the critiques surprise her, but the grade still doesn't sit well with her.

"Have you considered looking for a study buddy?" Ms. Holliday suggests lightly as she hands Santana her paper next.

Brittany glances to her side just in time to see the bright red _A+_ on Santana's paper. She tries to be inconspicuous but Santana catches her staring as Ms. Holliday walks away.

"I'm kind of a whizz at this stuff," Santana jokes before offering, "I could tutor you if you want?"

Brittany quickly shakes her head, "Oh no, I couldn't ask you to do all that. I'm not sure when I'd even have the time between practice and weight training."

"You'd probably want to make time," Santana replies as she tucks away her paper without a second look, "I've heard Coach Beiste is pretty hard on the players when it comes to maintaining their GPAs. Total opposite of Coach Sylvester who doesn't give a shit as long as you're nailing the routines. There was once a girl on the squad that had a 0.0. I didn't know GPAs went that low."

"Great," Brittany slumps back, "I can usually skate by, but the grading scale here is so different from my old school. This would be a solid _B-_ over there _._ "

"Like I said, I can help you?" Santana offers again but this time she pairs it with a smile.

Brittany bites her lip at the sight of it; those smiles are starting to get a little distracting.

"I don't know," She replies shyly, "It kind of takes me a second to catch onto things, my past tutors have gotten a little impatient with me. I wouldn't want to waste your time."

"I promise it won't be a waste of my time," Santana tells her earnestly, "I've tutored a couple of Titans before and I can tell just by how you've formatted your paper that you're a lot smarter than you think."

Brittany bites her lip at that and starts to consider her offer, "I'm not sure when we'd be able to meet. I get out of practice around 6 at the earliest."

"That's loads of time. I'm pretty flexible," She says then quickly clarifies, "With scheduling, I mean. Cheerios practice usually finishes up before yours and we have the same days off. We can even get together at Elliott's? Although I think the Lima Bean is closer, but whatever's easiest for you."

Brittany glances at Santana again and she's kind of surprised how willing she is to help with her studies. Even her friends back home were always a little hesitant when it came to studying with her, so to see Santana being so eager eases most of Brittany's reservations.

"Okay," Brittany finally relents, "Only if you want to. I don't want to take up too much of your time though."

Santana just sighs through her smile, "You're too considerate for your own good sometimes, Pierce."

Brittany blushes at that, "I just don't have a very good track record when it comes to this stuff."

"Well, I don't mind," Santana assures her, "Seriously. I wouldn't offer if I did so don't worry about it."

"Okay," Brittany nods bashfully, "Thanks."

Santana just shrugs dismissively before turning back to her worksheet.

\\\

In addition to how everything's going with Santana, things seem to have shifted for the better when it comes to the Titans too. For the most part, Brittany's gained the team's respect and their dynamic is the strongest its ever been. There's an even bigger push for harder training now that they're getting closer to the playoffs, but despite most of the team being on the same page there are still two that love to stand out.

Karofsky and Azimio.

It's towards the end of practice and they're running a couple different plays and the infamous duo have been insufferable the entire time. Coach Beiste has yet to get involved, but that's on Brittany. She wants to be able to control her team, she doesn't want to have to go running to the Coach just because of a couple guys that won't get with it.

But those two never just do as they're told, there's always some backhanded comment and Brittany's getting sick of it. The only reason she hasn't snapped is because she doesn't want to let her emotions get the best of her. They've used that against her before and she knows if she were to have an outburst again they'd just do the same thing. That's the most frustrating part about working with ignorant assholes, arguing with them doesn't do a damn thing – until today.

Brittany goes to gather her offense for a quick huddle so that she can run through the next play and Azimio is already on her with the belittling nicknames.

"Alright Princess," He groans, "What are you having us do this time?"

"Not another play-action," Karofsky jokes.

Brittany's jaw tenses and she's about to go off on the both of them when Finn – of all people – beats her to it.

"God, when are you two going to give it up already?" He snaps, "The pushback is so annoying!"

"Woah!" Karofsky raises his hands dramatically, "Has Hudson been body snatched?"

"No," Finn replies, "I've just realized that fighting all of this progress gets you nowhere! Seriously, have you guys not noticed? We're actually winning this season."

Azimio shakes his head and slaps at Karofsky's shoulder like he can't believe his ears.

"Look around you man," Finn tells him, "No one's laughing with you anymore."

Their faces fall into grimaces while Finn looks to Brittany.

"I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, but Britt's taught me what a real leader looks like and I think that's cool. Not gonna lie, I was mad that she replaced me but now that I've gotten to know her, I'm happy she's here. Actually, I'm glad she replaced me so we can finally have a damn chance!" Finn explains with a dopy grin before he hardens his gaze and looks back Azimio and Karofsky, "Maybe it's time you both learn something too?"

"Yeah," Puck chimes in as he flinches at them with his fists balled, "Like keeping your damn traps shut. You know, just for this bullshit – I don't want to see your faces at my place next week for Halloween."

"Dude! What?" Azimio scoffs.

Karofsky looks like he's about to cry. It nearly makes Brittany laugh; who knew getting an invite revoked could be so hurtful to those guys. Meanwhile, Brittany's still on the fence about going.

Puck just crosses his arms, "I'm with Finn here. You two need to cut the shit already."

"You say you want to win?" Finn asks them, "Well Britt's our best shot at that so just fall in line already."

"Or quit the team so the rest of us can focus," Sam suggests.

Mike nods along with him.

Azimio and Karofsky just stew in their annoyance, but they don't fight the other players. Brittany hopes that this is the last she'll hear from them, but she has a feeling they still have a little left in them.

But Finn smiles proudly and looks back to Brittany as he holds out his fist to her, "Take us to 8-1, Cap."

Brittany can't help but smile as she bumps her fist with his.

This is what a real team looks like, this is what she's been trying to show them all this time. You have each other's back and you respect one another, that's what you're meant to do when you're apart of a team and Brittany feel so proud to see this kind of progress.

"Alright, last play of the day. Up the Guts and Pop Right. Titans on three. One…two…three," She says followed by a loud clap, "Titans!"

Everyone falls into position and there's not a single word uttered from Azimio and Karofsky for the first time all afternoon.

\\\

When Brittany gets to her locker later the next day, she frowns when she doesn't see Santana there yet. She's wondering if maybe she missed her again or maybe she's too early when she spots Kurt and Mercedes walking towards her.

"Hey guys!" Brittany greets before putting in her locker combo.

"Your majesty," Kurt bows playfully.

Brittany chuckles, "You've got to stop doing that before it catches on."

"How you been?" Mercedes asks as she leans against Santana's locker.

Brittany's glad that she gets hers open in time because the door just so happens to block them from seeing her smile.

She really can't help it, because when she thinks of _how she's been_ she thinks of the weekend. She's reminded of all the times she's made Santana laugh with something silly she said. She's reminded of how different Santana looks dressed in something other than her Cheerios uniform. She's reminded of how Santana's nose crinkles when she smiles really big and how it makes Brittany's heart flip at the sight of it.

"Good," Brittany answers casually.

"What have you been up to?" Mercedes wonders, "What was your weekend like?"

"Yeah," Kurt adds, "I didn't even see you leave after the game on Friday."

Brittany continues to play it coy as she pulls her books out, "I was hanging out with Santana."

"Again?" Mercedes asks.

Brittany let's out a quiet sigh. She let it slip once before that she and Santana hung out, but it seems like her friends haven't forgotten about it like she'd hope they would. She thinks it's a great thing that she's getting to know Santana better, but others – like Kurt and Mercedes – seem to disagree and she's starting to understand why Santana's always so guarded.

"Yeah," Brittany shrugs casually, "Santana's tutoring me for English."

"On a Friday night?" Mercedes questions.

Brittany doesn't get what the big deal is and nods.

"You've gotten quite close since Homecoming," Kurt comments and Brittany already hates where this is going.

"We're friends."

Mercedes sputters out a laugh, "That girl doesn't have friends. She has Quinn and people she wants to crush."

"Or crush _on_ …" Kurt smirks at Brittany.

"What?" Mercedes looks confused.

The blonde's brows furrow too, "Yeah. What?"

"Maybe she likes you?" Kurt suggests, "That has to be it; that's the only logical explanation. Santana Lopez doesn't usually get close to anyone unless there's something in it for her."

"Or she's trying to throw sticks at your head," Mercedes adds, "Her aim is awful."

Kurt nods, "You're climbing ranks pretty fast, Britt, she probably just needs the popularity boost."

"Preach," Mercedes says with the wave of her hand.

Brittany frowns at the pair. She can't believe she's hearing them talk about Santana like this. It's actually making her a little annoyed, but she keeps her cool for now as she explains, "I don't think it's like that. Santana's nice. Maybe her _stick throwing_ days are behind her?"

"Nice?" Mercedes' brows rise, "She doesn't know how to do that."

"Sure she does," Brittany responds; she can feel herself getting defensive but she keeps her cool.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Kurt says warily, "Just be careful around her. Other than Quinn and her reputation, there's not much else Santana cares about."

"You guys are making a lot of assumptions about someone you don't even talk to," Brittany points out as she stuffs the last book she needs into her bookbag. She tries to keep her voice even although she feels the back of her neck heat up, "Or _do_ you talk?"

"Oh, I've _tried_ talking to her," Kurt says.

"When?" Mercedes questions disbelievingly.

"Last year," Kurt says, "Remember? I extended an olive branch and she hit me with it."

"Okay, what's with all the sticks and branches?" Brittany sighs because she's struggling to keep up.

"I'm meaning figuratively," Kurt clarifies, "I've tried to make nice with her and it did not go well. She went off on me in front of everyone."

"I remember that. People don't call her _Satan_ for nothing," Mercedes reasons, "And I thought Bree was bad."

"Oh no, she was way worse than Santana," Kurt says, "For obvious reasons, of course."

Brittany starts to wonder what he means and who this Bree person is.

"True," Mercedes replies with the shake of her head, "They were _both_ nightmares. I'm glad we only have to deal with one of them now even if it has to be Satan."

And _that's_ what puts Brittany over the edge.

She slams her locker shut, "Alright, that's enough. I don't think it's cool how you're talking about my friend like that."

Kurt's taken aback, "Wait, we're sorry. We got carried away. Santana's just…she's got a history of not being a nice person. We just don't want you getting hurt."

Brittany furrows her brows as she pulls on her bookbag, "Does it look like I can't take care of myself?"

Kurt and Mercedes look to each other guiltily.

"Look, I appreciate you both looking out for me but Santana is my friend," Brittany tells them firmly, "And I'm not going to listen to either of you talk about her when you don't even know her. God, you have no idea what goes on behind the scenes for her. You have no idea what she struggles with."

"Britt," Kurt tries, "We didn't mean to upset you, but like – what could _she_ possibly have to struggle with other than the obvious? She's at the top of the food chain. She's popular, she's loaded, she's Santana Lopez."

"Everyone has something. Maybe you should think about that the next time either of you judge someone without knowing them," Brittany says. She hasn't been angry like this in awhile and she's sure it shows, "You're in the Glee Club, you know what it's like to be pushed down for being yourselves but at least you have a group of people who support you. She doesn't, so where's your damn compassion?"

She doesn't let them get in another word before she storms off to her last class of the day.

\\\

Santana's already seated in her usual seat when Brittany arrives to Ms. Holliday's classroom. She's still fuming, but she tries her best to mask it as she approaches their shared desk.

Clearly she doesn't do a very good job of it.

"You alright?" Santana asks as Brittany gets settled.

"Yeah?" Brittany tries to play it cool, "Why?"

She's organizing her binder and pulling out her pen just as Ms. Holliday starts to go through the warm up activity, but she can feel that Santana is still staring.

"You're all…pink in the face," Santana notes with a brow raised.

"Oh," Brittany rubs the back of her hand against her cheek like it's going to make it go away, "I forgot something in my locker and had to run back before the bell rang."

It's a lame excuse but she panicked.

She couldn't tell Santana that the real reason is because her so-called friends had just been talking down on her and it pissed Brittany off. She guesses she _could,_ but she doesn't want Santana to retaliate and further prove that Kurt and Mercedes were right about her.

It's just hard for Brittany to believe that Santana could be anything like the stories they've told. Other than how she threatened JBI weeks ago, Brittany hasn't really witnessed that part of her before. Then again, she _was_ pretty rude to Brittany when she first started at McKinley so that makes her wonder maybe there might be some truth behind her friends' warnings?

"Question," Brittany whispers to Santana.

"Yeah?"

Brittany bites her lip, "You've…never thrown sticks at my head, right?"

Santana chokes out a laugh and looks to Brittany only to find her looking back with this serious expression on her face. Santana softens, "No. I've never thrown sticks at your head."

"Have you thrown sticks at _anyone's_ head before?" Brittany asks.

Santana tilts her head to the side, "I don't think so. Maybe when I was a little kid?"

"Okay," Brittany nods before going back to her work, "Just checking."

Santana only gives her a curious look before going back to do her activity too.

While Brittany answers the questions, she can't help but think back to her conversation with Kurt and Mercedes. The more time she spends getting to know Santana, the less she believes that this so-called _Satan_ version exists.

If it did, then Brittany must be immune to it. Still though, she wonders about all the missing pieces to Santana that she has yet to learn like what went down last year and who this Bree girl is and why is everyone so bitchy to each other?

\\\

It's not until the next day that Brittany's curiosity finally gets the best of her.

She and Santana are studying together at the Lima Bean one afternoon and she's trying her hardest to focus on the examples Santana's going over, but there's too many nagging questions in her head and none of them are about Ms. Holliday's class.

"I have a question," Brittany finally says.

Santana pauses and looks up at Brittany, "Yeah?"

Brittany shifts a little in her seat, "It's not about this though."

Santana puts down her pen, "Okay?"

"Who's Bree?"

"Bree?" Santana blinks at her like she's not sure if she heard correctly.

Brittany nods, "Kurt and Mercedes mentioned something about her and you – "

"What'd they say?" She interrupts. There's a noticeable change right away as Santana sits straighter, her chin just slightly raised as if to say _hit me with your best shot_.

"Nothing really," Brittany assures her, "They just brought her up and how she wasn't really a nice person. I wanted to hear from you though because they kind of compared you...to her."

Santana instantly scoffs as she averts her gaze, "I'm nothing like her, that bitch was pure evil."

Brittany's brows rise at Santana's tone, but Santana softens just a little at the sight.

"Sorry. I guess I should be thankful that you didn't hear about it sooner," Santana sighs, "God knows people at this school love to start drama for no reason."

Brittany bites her lip at the sound of Santana being so bitter again. It reminds her of their conversation at the Homecoming Dance and how she could see Santana struggling with so much inside of her. She's never met someone who had such a hard time being themselves.

"Is this about last year?" Brittany wonders.

Santana lets out a deep sigh again. She's yet to look at Brittany as she answers, "Yeah."

" _Oh_ ," Brittany breathes out, "Well, I don't want you to feel pressured to talk about it if you're not ready. I was just wondering, you don't have to explain or whatever. We can go back to studying."

Santana chances a glance at Brittany rambling. Her voice is soft and small, "No, I want to tell you."

Blue eyes flicker between dark brown, "Are you sure?"

Santana nods, "I rather you hear it from me then someone else. At least you'll get the truth."

"Okay."

It takes Santana a moment before she begins to tell her story, but Brittany just sits there patiently waiting. There's another exhale and a glance at Brittany before Santana starts.

"So when Quinn and I joined the Cheerios in our Freshman year, Bree was the Captain," Santana explains, "That was back when there was only one. Anyway, she was a year older and didn't really like us from the very start. Not many girls on the squad were fond of her either, because she was a major bitch. A bigger one than me if you can imagine that."

Santana laughs at her own expense but Brittany only frowns.

"I _can_ imagine that because I don't think you're a bitch," Brittany tells her earnestly.

Santana only smirks, "Well you're the only one. Anyway, we developed this rivalry pretty early on because I guess she felt threatened by Quinn and I? It only got worse as the year progressed. By Sophomore year, Quinn and I managed to convince Coach Sylvester that two Captains were better than one and Bree was demoted to the bottom of the pyramid."

"Woah," Brittany gasped.

"Yeah," Santana looks proud of herself, "Bree didn't like that very much, of course."

"I bet," Brittany chuckled.

"That was also around the time that I started to realize that I was," Santana pauses and at first she looks unsure but then she looks to Brittany, "I was realizing that I was gay."

Brittany tries to keep her proud smile small and nods for her to keep going.

"There was this girl," Santana admits, "She was a Junior – same as Bree – at Carmel High and a cheerleader too so we knew a little of each other since we often competed against them. She was like the only girl in this town that was openly gay – kind of like you, she was sure of who she was, confident. I thought she was so cool for that."

Brittany begins to smirk, "Does that mean you think I'm cool too?"

Santana begins to blush, " _No_."

"Convincing," Brittany chuckles, "Go on."

"Well, she became the first girl I knowingly had a crush on," Santana explains then quickly follows up with, "I don't know if it was an _actual_ crush or if I was just amazed by how she carried herself. Like was it envy or did I really like her, you know?"

"I definitely know," Brittany says, "Do you want to _be_ her or be _on_ her, right?"

Santana looks a little surprised by Brittany's example, "Yeah, _that._ Anyway, she actually use to work at Elliott's as a barista. That's why I use to go there all the time. I was way too afraid to actually talk to her so I spent so much money on ordering drinks instead."

"Really?" Brittany begins to smirk, "That's kind of cute, Santana. It's kind of hard to imagine you being that shy."

"Shut up," Santana grumbles through an embarrassed smile, "As if you've never had a crush on someone you thought was out of your league."

Brittany chuckles, "You'd be surprised."

"I really would be," Santana replies, "I was terrified of anyone at school finding out so I tried my hardest to hide it. I dated guy after guy just trying to force the feeling away. I just wanted to be like everyone else – normal."

"It is normal," Brittany assures her.

"I didn't think so back then," Santana admits sadly, "I'm still trying to work on that now. It's hard when you're brought up a certain way with all this pressure to be the perfect whatever – student, daughter, girlfriend, cheerleader. Hiding who I was got tiring but at Elliott's – I felt safe, like I could be myself. No one from McKinley usually came out that way so there wasn't much risk of running into anyone I knew. I started to gain a little confidence and ended up going there every day for like a year just so I could talking to this girl for literally 5 minutes, it was so bad."

Brittany teases playfully, "Who knew you were such a romantic."

Santana smirks, "I guess I knew what I was doing because all that hard work finally turned into something. One day during my Junior year, she asked me if I wanted to hang out with her on her break. It was crazy; I didn't even think, I just said yes and we went out back and sat on the stoop just talking. She actually gave me my first cigarette that day. I felt so cool."

Brittany shakes her head at how Santana puffs out her chest a little, "Of course you did."

"What I didn't know was that Bree had been keeping tabs on me for the _longest_ time," Santana continues, "At first she was thinking that I was making nice with someone on the Carmel squad and you know how deep this rivalry goes. No one is to fraternize with the enemy, so this was the perfect opportunity for Bree to get enough dirt on me so that she could take my spot as Co-Captain before she graduated."

Brittany starts to frown as she realizes where this might be going.

"She ended up getting way more than she asked for that day," Santana says ominously, "While she was staging some sort of stake out, Bree witnessed the moment I found out that this girl liked me too. We were sitting out on the back porch when she leaned over and kissed me. It was just on the cheek but still – I'd never been kissed by someone that I could actually have a chance with. It was the greatest moment of all time and Bree stole it from me by catching the whole thing on camera."

"Shit," Brittany gasped, "What?"

"The next day I came to school and the halls had been covered in pictures of the kiss," Santana whispers, "I was mortified. Quinn tried taking down as many as she could, but there were too many. People had already seen and Bree was just churning out rumor after rumor. Some were a little true and some weren't, but it didn't matter by then. I was in no position to even try and defend myself, especially when JBI started airing the video clip. The whole school had been exposed before I could do anything about it. I felt so…small I guess? I ran out of there crying."

"Oh my God, Santana," Brittany's heart feels so heavy, "That's horrible, I'm so sorry."

Santana shrugs, "Bree and JBI got suspended for a bit but the damage was done. They loved finally getting a chance to take their shots at one of McKinley's baddest. People either wanted to be me or feared me before that happened, but after? It was hard to bounce back. It's a good thing I have tough skin. Someone always has _something_ to say, even now."

"It shouldn't have to be like that," Brittany shakes her head, "I don't get this school. I don't get how people can be so mean to each other. This is you, this is who you are and you're awesome. Why should you have to hide any of that?"

"Look, I'm not innocent either," Santana replies, "I've been a bitch to so many people. I guess it was like karma or something. Maybe I deserved it for the things I've said to people?"

Brittany reaches out to cover Santana's hand with her own. She moves without thinking, but she felt like it needed to be done. She needed some way to ground Santana enough so that she'd hear her and this was the best she could come up with.

"No one deserves to be outed," Brittany tells her, "No one."

Santana nods as she glances down at the hand on hers, "There's more."

Brittany's brows furrow as she pulls away.

"Not only did that video circulate in school, it went viral – even my parents saw," Santana continues, "I've never seen my dad so angry. Not only did I fuck up our family's reputation, I jeopardized my chance at getting into an Ivy League school. He's pretty well known and to have his only daughter being exposed in such a light…it was _scandalous_."

Brittany frowns at the sarcasm, "What about your mom?"

"It took her a second to understand but she's getting there. She's a little more supportive," Santana shrugs, "The biggest issue is with my dad. Reputation has always been of high importance on his side of the family so…it's been hard."

"I can only imagine," Brittany sighs.

"I missed so much school last year too because I was just so distracted with everything going on. I really screwed myself so he's been on my case this year to make sure I'm still in a position to get into a good school," Santana says.

"God Santana," Brittany replies, "I'm so sorry. I know I keep saying that but just…I can't think of anything else to say. I'm so speechless."

Santana nods and for a moment there's this faraway look on her face, "It's whatever now. I just… I wasn't ready, you know? I didn't even get a chance to tell my parents properly before they found out. I always was so careful. Dated the hottest guys, stayed on top of my grades, I was Co-Captain; I had this whole school wrapped around my finger just so no one would suspect a thing. I thought I could keep it up until graduation. I just thought I had more time to get everything figured out, you know?"

Brittany stays quiet this time, just soaking in everything Santana's said. It's all so heartbreaking. She can't imagine going through what Santana did. It must've felt like the whole world had turned its back on her and Brittany feels for her.

"So now you know about that," Santana says awkwardly as if she's trying to fill the silence, "This is why I'm a pain in the ass when it comes to my sexuality. Kurt and Mercedes have probably told you how cruel I've been to them and they're right about me there."

Brittany is quick to argue, "You were hurt, it takes time to heal especially from something like this."

"I was a bully and there's no excuse for it," Santana tells her, "I did what I did and I can't really take that back. I'm trying to be better now, but it's still hard for me to find the balance of what's _me_ and what isn't. The lines have been blurred for so long."

"Well, I wasn't around to witness whatever happened between you and them or whoever you may have treated badly," Brittany says, "But _this_ Santana I've come to know…she isn't a bully, she's my friend. She's considerate and patient. She volunteers her time to help me study and most importantly…she's nice."

"Thanks," Santana says shyly, "It's kind of cool having someone in my corner for once – other than Quinn, obviously. You're different. You make everything sound so simple, you know? You're just really wise, I guess."

Brittany chuckles at that, "I don't know about wise. I grew up in a very different place than you and I guess it shows."

"It really does," Santana agrees, "I hope I can get to where you are one day."

"You will," Brittany assures her.

"Thanks."

After a pause Brittany begins to wonder, "So whatever happened to the girl? The barista?"

"Oh," Santana frowns, "Nothing really, I just didn't know how to move forward after everything I put her through, you know? I felt bad about it all. She was really understanding I guess. Once she graduated a few months later, I never heard from her again."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Santana shrugs, "I wasn't like in love with her or anything. Honestly, I didn't expect her to stick around anyway. It was just too complicated. Sometimes it still feels that way, like I'm spinning my wheels and getting nowhere."

"Well, for what it's worth I think you're making great progress," Brittany says kindly.

"You think so?"

"Totally!" Brittany grins, "I mean, we went to Homecoming together. As _friends_ , but did you ever imagine that would be something you'd do in high school? Have a cute girl like me for a date?"

Santana rolls her eyes at the teasing tone, "No one said you were cute."

"It doesn't have to be said," Brittany jokes.

Santana fights the blush, "To answer your question…No, I guess that's not something I imagined doing in high school."

"Consider it forward progress then," Brittany winks.

"Is that one of your football terms?"

"Yeah," Brittany giggles.

Santana shakes her head, "You're a dork."

"Rude," Brittany chuckles, "So what was this mysterious crush's name or is that top secret?"

"No it isn't top secret," Santana laughs. She softens a little like it's the first time she's said it out loud in awhile. In reality, it is. "Her name was Dani."

Brittany nods solemnly before reaching for her drink. It's cold by now but Brittany doesn't pay too much attention to it, she's still trying to process everything Santana's told her. She isn't surprised by how the kids at McKinley reacted to Santana's sexuality, but damn…she can't believe Santana went through something like that and she's _still_ trying secure her spot at the top of the food chain.

That shows resilience and Brittany wonders if Santana knows how amazing she is for that. She notices how hard she struggles internally just from the couple of times they've talked about something other than school. Santana comments a lot on Brittany's traits and wanting to be like her one day, but Brittany finds herself wanting to embody just an ounce of what Santana has.

Other than her dad, Brittany doesn't think she's met anyone stronger than Santana and she really admires that about her.

"Sorry for bringing the mood down," Santana comments to fill the void. She has her pen in her hand again as she turns back to their work, "We can get back to this."

Brittany shakes away her thoughts, "No, don't be sorry. I was the one who asked, you didn't bring it down."

Santana smirks, "That's not what your face says."

Brittany relaxes, "I was just thinking – "

"About ending this session early?" Santana jokes.

"No," Brittany rolls her eyes playfully, "I was just thinking about how brave you are."

Santana looks surprised, almost disbelieving.

"All that stuff that happened to you; you could've switched schools, you could've changed your name and got a face lift, "Brittany rambles, "You could've dropped off the face of the Earth but you didn't. You still walk around the school like you own it even if you're afraid. I think that makes you brave."

"Or stubborn," Santana smirks, "Apparently I get that from my dad's side."

"Damnit Santana," Brittany grumbles though she smiles, "I'm trying to compliment you. Can you just take it? You don't always have to fight me. You _do_ have good qualities about you even if everyone's trying to tell you otherwise."

Santana rests back in her chair and her brow is quirked but it's not in that challenging way Brittany's used to. It's more so impressed or maybe surprised? Either way, the smirk remains and Brittany awaits whatever snarky thing she's bound to say in reply.

"You've had chocolate powder on your nose this entire time," Santana notes instead, "Right on the tip. It's been _very_ distracting."

Brittany's jaw drops and she quickly goes to wipe it off with the back of her hand. Sure enough, there's chocolate powder there and her cheeks begin to burn with embarrassment while Santana laughs her ass off.

"You're _so_ hilarious, Santana," Brittany says sarcastically before she's reaching for Santana's discarded marshmallows and winds up to hurl one at her.

"Don't you dare, Pierce!" Santana laughs as she goes to hide behind her book.

"It's payback!"

"Take the high road!"

"Never!"

Soon marshmallows and wadded up napkins are being thrown back and forth while the baristas just watch from behind the counter laughing, "You guys are cleaning that up!"

Brittany just gives them a thumbs up before Santana's pelting her with a ball of crumbled up notebook paper.

\\\\\\\\\

For once, Santana actually feels genuine happiness.

It's been a long time, so long in fact that she can't remember the last time she felt happy but she's sure it doesn't involve Brittany. The past two weeks have been a blur for her. Not because they're so monotonous that the days blend into one, but because of how much lighter she feels now that she's being honest and open about everything.

Okay, maybe not _everything_ and maybe she's not being honest and open with _everyone_ but she's trying. For the first time, she actually feels like she's getting somewhere. With Brittany around, Santana feels like so much more is possible. To have someone like her rooting for her is something Santana's rarely experienced.

Sure, she has Quinn but with Brittany it hits differently and Santana might think she knows why.

It's silly, but she's started to count the number of times Brittany has smiled at her. Sometimes they're whispering about something in class and Santana will catch it from the corner of her eye. Sometimes she sees it from the other end of the hallway through the sea of students – it's like a beacon, a the light from a lighthouse guiding her through. Sometimes it's the first thing she sees when Brittany pulls off her helmet at the end of a game.

Santana finds her gaze lingering longer on those pretty pink lips, just watching the way they move around words that never quite reach her ears because her pounding heart drowns them out.

Santana has a pretty good streak going so far when it comes to seeing Brittany smile her way, but she's sure she would die the day she break it – if that day were to ever come.

She's hoping it never does.

But, Santana isn't the only one who has taken a closer look at their budding friendship.

\\\

Santana's on her way to her locker with her books clutched against her chest and her head held high like always when out of nowhere JBI slides into her path.

She instantly scoffs at him.

"Why are you in my way?" She demands.

"Santana Lopez, Co-Captain of the Cheerios _and_ dating the star quarterback Brittany S. Pierce," JBI says into his mic with that smug grin of his on his face.

Santana grits her teeth even though the hairs at the back of her neck stand on end. It's a big accusation and Santana hates how her heart both skips a beat before it plummets.

"Care to comment?" JBI prompts.

"We're not dating," Santana says firmly before shoving the mic out of her face. She tries to walk around him and get out of there as fast as she can but he cuts her off again.

"Our sources have spotted you two together at numerous locations over the last couple of weeks," JBI replies, "Seems like we're going to get a repeat of last year?"

Santana rolls her eyes. If she wasn't holding onto her books, her fists would be balled at her sides, itching to punch him square in the throat. That's exactly what he wants out of her though. He wants a show and he knows just what to say to get one.

"We were studying," Santana says evenly. Really, she shouldn't even be explaining herself but there's this tug of fear at the back of her mind that urges her to be on the defense.

"Studying? Is that what the kids call it these days?" He asks slyly.

Santana gives him a look, "What the hell does that even mean?"

"It means you two are totally hooking up," JBI looks pleased with himself. He can see he's starting to wear Santana down and if he keeps at it, she'll give him a show.

"How do you come to _that_ conclusion?" Santana she retorts before brushing past him. She can see what he's doing and yet she still manages to get one foot caught in his web.

She tries to walk away, but she goes about three steps before he's reeling her back in. 

"You tell me," JBI sneers, "You're the one with a history of sucking face in public areas. Who's to say Brittany isn't your new conquest? I’m sure no one at this school would complain if another video of you and – "

Santana whirls on him and she's griping her books so tightly they're sure to snap. She's about two seconds away from losing it, so she tries to at least breathe before she accidentally kicks JBI's ass. 

“It’s not going to happen,” Santana threatens, "Leave her out of this."

JBI only grins, “So there _is_ something going on between you two?”

Santana just huffs, “Fuck off, JBI.”

"Now you're refusing to answer the question? Interesting. Your closeness at Homecoming should've been the first indicator that something was up," JBI smirks as he turns to his camera friend, “You heard it here first, McKinley.”

Santana shakes her head, "You know what? I'm not doing this. I'm not going to get dragged onto your bullshit gossip blog again. Nothing is going on, so drop this before I go _all_ Lima Heights on your ass."

"You don't scare me anymore," JBI stands tall, "Not after your very public downfall. That video of you running down the hall crying last year still has the most hits out of all my vids."

Santana's chest feels tight and she's afraid if she were to speak her voice would crack. She's both infuriated and humiliated but which overpowers the other? Is she going to let JBI run his mouth? Should she just ignore him and go about her day? She can't; she can't let him get away with peddling rumors about her again – not when they involve Brittany too.

She feels so conflicted, because despite how false these rumors are no one would believe her if she told the truth anyway. This school is so damn backwards they’ll listen to this dweeb with a mic before they hear the truth – especially when it comes to her private life. This is why she’s so hellbent on keeping everything she feels under wraps! You give these people an inch and they take a mile.

"Listen," Santana takes a threatening step forward. Her voice drips into something low and gravely, "You got away with it last time but I'm not playing games with you anymore so watch your goddamn mouth. This isn't like last year. Bree's not around to back you up."

"I don't need Bree," He says shakily, "You're not as high and mighty as you think you are. Your only saving grace now is that you're still somehow a Cheerio. Other than that? You're all talk."

Santana looks back at him in disbelief, "Is that so?"

JBI doesn't get a chance to reply before Santana's dropping her books and going to kick him between the legs. The shriek he lets out echoes down the hall but Santana doesn't stop. She goes for the camera-kid next and rips the camera from his hands before smashing it on the ground, pleased to see it shatter into chunks of plastic.

JBI scrambles to his feet and they begin to shove at each other while the camera-kid just stares wide-eyed at the mess that was once his beloved camera.

All Santana sees is red as students start to gather around them. Despite what she might say, Santana's not much of a fighter but JBI isn't much of one either so the match up is pretty even. Santana just swings her arms, hoping to land at least half of the blows she wants. All of this pent of frustration that's been building since last year has finally found an exit and its target is JBI.

It isn't until Mr. Schue notices the ruckus and rushes in to break it up.

"Woah!" He shouts, "What is going on here?"

"She assaulted me!" JBI cries before hiding behind the teacher.

"Like hell I did," Santana snaps and lunges at JBI again, "You haven't seen assault yet!"

"Hey!" Mr. Schue holds her back, "Principal's office, both of you. Let's go."

Santana only manages to grab her books before she's being pushed to towards the office with Mr. Schue's hand on her shoulder and JBI whimpering next to her. God, all she wants to do is kick him again for the dramatics – he really knows how to play an audience.

Just as they're about to cross the science wing, Santana spots her best friend in the crowd. Quinn is giving her a worried look but Santana's sure that one glance at JBI will have her connecting the dots. With him around, trouble always follows closely behind Santana.

Afterall, how long is she meant to take all of this crap before she actually does something about it? She didn't lash out at Bree. She didn't lash out with JBI. She didn't lash out at the entire school, so what the hell do they expect from her now?

She's been angry and frustrated about everything for so long and she has been bottling it up, trying to save face and make it to graduation but at what cost? She has to deal with it at school _and_ at home and she can't do it anymore – something's gotta give, but what?

She's just tired.

She's _been_ tired and she's so over being afraid of what everyone thinks about her. This isn’t anything like who she use to be. She use to feel confident in herself, she use to walk around the school like she owned – and maybe on the outside, it still looks that way. Inside though, she’s a wreck. Was it all an act or was she truly fearless? She’s been playing both sides for so long, she can’t even remember what’s real anymore.

All she knows it that she’s over it all and there comes a time when you have to start doing something about it.

For Santana, that time starts now.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Sorry for the slight delay, my birthday weekend has been a lot more full on than I expected LOL. Hope this chapter makes up for the wait. When I party, we all do...and I will leave it at that. Enjoy!

Brittany’s just coming out of a meeting with her math teacher and on her way to football practice when she noticed a couple of students run by her. The school day was officially over about fifteen minutes ago so she didn’t understand why they would be running until she overheard someone say the words _fight_ and _Santana_ in the same sentence.

Britany was on the move before she could even register that she was heading towards all the commotion. There’s a group of students gathered and she tries to squeeze by to get a better view but she can just barely see the top of Santana’s head before Mr. Schue gets involved.

"Principal's office, both of you. Let's go,” Brittany hears the teacher say before he’s escorting Santana away.

It’s not until the crowd starts to disperse that she notices JBI is there too looking as pitiful as ever. As more students leave, Brittany spots Quinn standing on the opposite side of where the circle had formed too and they’re just left staring at each other as Brittany tries to get a grasp of what just happened.

\\\

“That can’t be good,” Brittany comments as the two blondes come together. 

“Yeah. Hopefully they don’t call her parents,” Quinn says worriedly, “They’re going to be so pissed if they have to leave work for this.”

“What happened?” Brittany asks as she glances at the Principal’s Office door.

“One guess,” Quinn says cryptically.

Brittany frowns at Quinn, “What do you mean?”

“JBI’s involved,” Quinn replies knowingly, “He knows exactly what to say to get under Santana’s skin. Whatever it takes to get a good story, no matter who has to suffer.”

Brittany nods. She remembers what Santana told her the other day about how JBI took part in having her outed. It makes her feel sick to think he’s bothering her now, but it also makes her feel extremely angry and she isn’t usually an angry person.

“I hate people like that,” Brittany says softly despite the growing fire within.

Quinn looks at her and nods, “Yeah. Me too. People just need to leave her the hell alone already. They can’t handle what she’s like when the claws come out.”

Brittany can only imagine considering what she knows of Santana so far. Maybe Brittany _will_ get a glimpse of this infamous _Satan_? She wouldn’t be surprised if that did happen though. Sometimes playing nice doesn’t get you very far, Brittany had to learn that the hard way.

“Seems like people here love pressing her buttons,” Brittany comments, “They don’t notice her when she’s being kind.”

Quinn lets out a dry chuckle, “An understatement of the century.”

“There’s so many things I don’t get about this school, but that might be my biggest issue. People hate on her for being a so-called bitch but they also hate on her when tries to be different. People think she’s such a bad person,” Brittany finds herself saying, “She really isn’t, at least she isn’t to me.”

Quinn looks to her and there’s this pleased smile on her face, “You must be special.”

Brittany’s not sure what that means but she smiles anyway.

“You’re here for like five minutes and you already get it,” Quinn notes, “Meanwhile, we’ve gone to school with these same kids for literally all of our lives and they still treat her as if she’s a villain. Okay, maybe she _can_ be a villain sometimes but there’s more to her, you know?”

Brittany nods, “I know.”

“Good,” Quinn says, “Well I’m going to my locker. It’s just over there.”

“Oh right. Can you let me know if she’s okay?” Brittany asks as she glances to the door again, “I really want to stay but I have to get to practice.”

Quinn smirks, “Yeah. They’ll probably be in there for awhile so no use in waiting out here. I’ll let you know if I hear anything.”

Brittany gives her a grin, “Thanks Quinn.”

\\\\\\\\\

Santana tried her best to talk Principal Figgins out of calling her parents, but it was pretty useless considering the damage she had done. Was she remorseful? Would she take it all back if she could? Hell no. JBI got what he deserved in her eyes, but she knew that her parents wouldn’t feel the same way – especially her dad.

She can already hear the disappointment in his voice, “ _What is the matter with you, Santana? Do you realize how this will make our family look? We didn’t raise you this way.”_

See? She knows exactly what he’ll say, so Principal Figgins can just save them the trouble and forgo a meeting.

Of course he doesn’t buy that.

And of course Maribel isn’t able to step away from work so that means that Hector must come in to meet with everyone instead. And of course he’s working the nightshift tonight which means Santana’s little outburst has ruined his rest in preparation of working so late. Now, not only will he be pissed that Santana’s getting into trouble again but he’ll _also_ be grumpy as hell because she’s interrupted his nap.

Santana’s not too worried about whatever Principal Figgins has to say in terms of punishment; it’s her dad’s wrath that she’s most worried about.

\\\

When Hector breezes into the office fifteen minutes later, he’s dressed in his usual business casual attire but the dark circles under his eyes let’s Santana know that she’s in for a rough time.

“Dr. Lopez,” Principal Figgins greets as he stands to shake the man’s hand, “Thank you for coming.”

“Of course,” Hector nods politely before taking the seat next to Santana.

It’s just them in the room now; JBI and Mr. Schue have long since left. Santana can just feel the anger radiating off of her dad, but it is disguised by a stoic politeness that Santana knows all too well.

“ _There’s a certain way the Lopez Family must carry themselves out in the public eye,”_ Santana has heard him say numerous times in her life and Hector has it nailed.

“What is this about?” Hector asks.

Santana just concentrates on squeezing her hands together. Out in the hall with JBI, she felt fed up and she didn’t care about the consequences of her actions. She just wanted to retaliate, but now that she’s alone with Principal Figgins and her dad all she feels is guilt.

“Santana and another student got into a verbal disagreement in the hallway,” Principal Figgins starts off, “The disagreement turned physical.”

“I see,” Hector says. He doesn’t look Santana’s way, not even a glance.

Santana doesn’t listen to the rest.

She has a bit of a history when it comes to _improperly managing_ her rage so she’s already at a disadvantage here. Whatever JBI had to say before Principal Figgins allowed Santana to tell _her_ side of the story was enough to paint her in a bad light. She’s not really surprised though considering her track record but she guesses that’s on her.

Once a bully, always a bully apparently.

It still sucks though because she really wasn’t at fault here. At least, not in the beginning. If JBI didn’t corner her and invade her privacy then Santana wouldn’t have felt the need to crack his nuts – both the right _and_ the left. So technically, JBI is the bully here – not her.

But no one else sees it that way.

Hector and Principal Figgins talk for awhile but Santana doesn’t hear any of it. She’s too busy trying to think of a way to make her dad understand why she reacted the way that she did.

But that would mean having to talk about the things JBI said about her which would mean talking about the _thing_ they don’t talk about and she knows she can’t do that. If her dad says he doesn’t want to hear it, then that’s conversation over and Santana’s yet to find a way around that.

She thinks about how she felt before she smashed JBI’s camera – how she felt empowered and just wanted to prove to herself. She wanted to believe that Brittany was right about her, that she _is_ brave and that she _can_ stand up for herself.

Clearly, she didn’t think it through.

Now it feels like she’s taken two steps forward and ten back.

\\\

Santana starts to listen again when Principal Figgins says she can’t participate in extracurricular activities for a week. Not only has she pissed her dad off, now Coach Sylvester is going to be pissed too – awesome.

She moves when Hector stands to thank Principal Figgins for his time and follows her dad out into the hall which is now a ghost town. The tension is unbearable so Santana is just waiting for him to snap. Hector’s anger isn’t destructive or aggressive – it’s the quiet type and she thinks that’s way worse.

“Again, Santana?” He chastises just as the door closes behind him. His hand combs through his greying hair and his brows push together, “What is the matter with you?”

Santana instantly feels the lump in her throat upon hearing his tone. This was what she was afraid of – ruining their relationship even further than she already has.

“He started it, Papi,” Santana tries to explain, “I couldn’t let him – “

“No,” He says firmly, “I don’t care what he did. It doesn’t mean you have to finish it. Mami and I raised you so much better than this.”

“But Papi, the things he said about me – “

“I don’t want to hear it, Santana,” He states, “You’re too smart to behave like this. Getting into fights? Destroying other’s property? You’re lucky I was able to talk Figgins out of writing this down in your record. Just think if Harvard got word of this?”

Santana stifles the heavy sigh she so desperately wants to let out. Of course her future is all he’s thinking of. It’s not even _her_ future, it’s the one _he_ wants for her, never mind how this all started or why she reacted the way she did.

“It’s like you don’t even care about how you make our family look,” He says finally and that makes Santana’s heart clench, “I don’t know what’s going on with you anymore.”

Santana grits her teeth. What she wants to say is, “ _because you don’t listen to me, you don’t try to understand anything from my perspective, you only care about appearances and I’m tired of it – I’m tired of pretending to be someone I’m not. I’m tired of not addressing the giant gay elephant in the room. I’m tired of walking on eggshells around you, so desperately trying to win your approval.”_

She obviously can’t say any of that.

Not only is she scared shitless to talk back to him, but she doesn’t think she’s strong enough to even say those words out loud let alone _to_ her dad. She has no idea how he would react. What if he kicked her out? What if he disowned her? She’s seen his mother – her abuela – do it, what’s keeping him from reacting in the same way?

She doesn’t want to know the answer. Instead, she just opts for her usual route.

“I’m sorry,” She apologizes. She can feel the tears well but she blinks them away. These halls aren’t going to get to see her feeling this low again, “I didn’t mean to disappoint you.”

Hector only sighs, “I’ll see you at home. We’ll deal with your punishment later.”

Santana just nods before he walks away.

\\\

Shortly after, Santana makes her way over to her locker to grab the rest of her belongings when she is surprised to see Quinn waiting for her there.

“Aren’t you meant to be in practice?” Santana asks instead of telling Quinn how relieved she feels.

“Coach wanted me to get a status report on you,” Quinn answered, “Everything okay?”

Santana laughs bitterly as she gets her locker open, “Oh, just the World’s Greatest Daughter back at it again. I’m suspended from practice for a week too.”

“Shit. Coach isn’t going to like that,” Quinn frowns, “What happened?”

“JBI running his damn mouth like usual,” Santana grumbles, “I let it get to me.”

“He’s such an annoying little shit,” Quinn gripes.

“Yeah,” Santana sighs, “Tell Coach about me. I’ve got to go straight home now. Mom will be home soon so it’ll be a fun conversation.”

“Hopefully they’re not too hard on you,” Quinn smiles softly.

“We’ll see,” Santana replies, “I’m sure they’ll take my phone away and I probably won’t be allowed to go to Puck’s party now but I’m not really upset about that one. I’ve been dying for an excuse to miss it.”

“And leave me to fend for myself?” Quinn jokes lightly.

“Hardly,” Santana chuckles as she closes her locker, “You’ll have Mike. I’m sure he won’t leave your side even if you wanted him to.”

“That’s true. Speaking of,” Quinn begins to smirk, “Guess who came by to check on you, wanted to make sure you were okay?”

“Who?” Santana asks but she already knows the answer – at least, she’s hoping she does.

“Brittany,” Quinn answers, “We ran into each other just as you were taken in. She looked pretty concerned.”

Santana feels her whole body relax like a weight has been lifted off of her shoulders. Why? She has no idea. Thinking about Brittany just has that kind of effect on her. Plus the fact that Brittany could be worried about her? Santana isn’t use to many people caring about her; it’s kind of nice.

“You’re smiling,” Quinn points out.

Santana rolls her eyes as she forces herself to frown, “I’m not.”

“Shit,” Quinn’s smile grows, “You _like_ her.”

“I don’t!” Santana feels a blush spread, “She’s…the worst.”

“Wow, you can’t even say that with a straight face!” Quinn laughs, “I don’t know why you’re trying to fight it. Seems like she likes you too. What’s the worse that could happen?”

Santana can’t believe Quinn’s even asking.

“You forget where we live? What school we go to? You forget about the kind of people we’re surrounded by?” Santana lists, “They would tear her apart. Look what _just_ happened; I can’t risk it. We’re great as friends so we’ll just leave it as that.”

Quinn purses her lips, “Is that what you really want?”

“Doesn’t matter what _I_ want now does it?” Santana quips.

Quinn gives her a look for the sass, “So you’re just going to be miserable forever?”

“No,” Santana huffs, “Just until graduation when I’m able to get as far away as I can from this hell hole.”

“What about Brittany?” Quinn asks.

Santana tries to keep expressionless but she can’t fight the frown, “What about her?”

Quinn matches her expression and they fall into a long silence.

It’s frustrating how little things have changed in the grand scheme of things. Santana’s still the same scared little girl, afraid of the same damn things, so desperately wanting to take back her power yet still searching for Daddy’s approval. She thought today was the day for change but it feels like the closer she gets to accepting herself, the further she disappoints her family.

She really can’t win, can she?

“What’s the point?” Santana finds herself asking, “I’ll just wait until I’m out of here.”

“You deserve good things too, you know?” Quinn reminds her for the millionth time, “You deserve to be happy. You deserve a regular high school life just like anyone else here.”

“Regular?” Santana shakes her head, “I don’t even know what that would look like for me.”

“Me neither,” Quinn replies, “But I know it isn’t this. _This_ is bullshit. How can JBI get away with all of this is beyond me. He’s as much of a bully as you were.”

Santana lets Quinn’s words sit with her for a moment. She can see the truth in most of what her best friend said, but Santana doesn’t know if she’s quite so deserving. She’s also her own worst enemy and when it comes to redemption, Santana has a hard time believing she’s worthy but sometimes Brittany has her thinking otherwise.

Santana thinks about it a lot more recently now that she’s trying the whole _open and honest_ thing, but she’s still not quite there yet. This whole thing with JBI has her digressing a little.

“I gotta get home,” Santana answers finally, “Don’t forget to tell Coach about me.”

Quinn just smiles apologetically, “I will. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

\\\

For the rest of the week, Santana’s on a strict schedule of going to school and coming straight home. Like she anticipated, her parents took away her phone so in addition to forgoing Cheerios practice it’s been the longest three days of her life. She can’t even participate in Friday’s game now which had Coach Sylvester going absolutely batshit in Figgins’ office.

It was kind of cool to see Coach go off in her defense, even if Sue wasn’t really doing it for her. Sue only thinks about herself and what makes her look good which would be a complete squad in this case. Still, it was nice to see someone taking out all their aggression without repercussions – Santana wishes she could do that too.

In other news, her dad hasn’t really looked at her since the meeting so that’s also been fun. Dinners are awkwardly quiet and once again whenever she’s the only one around, Hector disappears into his office or leaves early for work.

Maribel just looks between the two with utter concern on her face.

Santana tries to make the best out of the situation and gets ahead on all of her schoolwork, but it makes her think about Brittany and their tutoring sessions she’s been missing since being grounded. They get to talk a little in class, but Santana’s still wondering if she’s doing okay on her own.

If Santana’s being honest, she’s really just wanting to talk to Brittany. Not about anything in particular like schoolwork, but just talk like they would at Elliott’s – about everything and nothing – because with Brittany everything comes easy.

That’s all Santana wants right now, something to come easy.

\\\

It’s late in the afternoon on Saturday and Santana has been busy at work on her history assignment trying to distract herself from the fact that it’s Halloween and she isn’t doing a damn thing. Everyone has been so pumped all week that the holiday falls on a weekend this year and she’s so annoyed that she won’t get to do anything.

Fucking JBI and his stupid show.

It was already bad enough that she spent Friday night at home instead of going to the game. She wasn’t worried about the squad or leaving Quinn to be the only one in charge, but she found herself wondering how the Titans were doing.

Okay, she couldn’t care less about the Titans as a whole. Really, there’s only one she’s interested in: Brittany.

Santana told her in class that she wouldn’t be and she could’ve sworn she saw disappointment in Brittany’s expression but it could’ve been her eyes playing a trick on her. Still, She wondered if they were winning and if Brittany noticed she wasn’t there.

Does it even matter to her?

In all the daydreaming Santana’s done over the past days, she really hopes that it does.

But she’s also scolding herself for being so optimistic. Even if Brittany did notice, what’s Santana going to do about it? She’s dealing with so much right now between her family and school, she can’t pull Brittany into her mess too. That wouldn’t be fair to either of them. 

Then again, denying them a chance to explore what could be wouldn’t be so fair too.

Santana’s so wrapped up in those thoughts that she nearly jumps from her chair when Maribel comes knocking on her bedroom door.

“Am I interrupting?” Maribel asks.

Santana shakes her head and pulls off her glasses, “Just homework.”

“Okay. Well, I just wanted to talk,” Maribel starts off as she walks across the room. She sets Santana’s phone on her desk and Santana’s eyes go wide.

“I’m getting it back early?” She asks, she can’t even hide the disbelief in her tone. 

Maribel remains casual, “I may have talked to your father about some things and we have agreed that you’ve done enough time. You know I don’t condone fighting, but I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said happened and I don’t think Papi should’ve been that hard on you. If I was in your place, I would’ve kicked that boy’s ass too.”

“Thanks,” Santana nods and it’s embarrassing how she already feels her eyes welling up, “I feel like I’m always disappointing him.”

“You could never,” Maribel assures her, “You’re his pride and joy.”

Santana shakes her head, “Doesn’t feel like it.”

Maribel looks to her curiously, “Where’s this coming from, mija?”

Santana frowns; it’s been months since that video came out and not once has he even tried to understand her, not like her mom has. She use to be so close to her dad and since then it feels like she’s been shut out.

It really fucking hurts.

“He didn’t even want to hear my side of the story. He only listened because you were there,” Santana says, “It’s like he only wants to claim me as his own when things are going right – when I’m being the _perfect_ daughter. Well, I don’t know how to do that anymore, Mami. I’m trying so hard to make everyone happy and do the right thing but it doesn’t seem to be working. Papi can’t stand to be around me.”

“Your father loves you, Santana.”

“Then why won’t he talk to me? When you aren’t here, he’s either in his office or he’s leaving early for work.”

“This is new to him too,” Maribel tries, “You know how stubborn he can be when it comes to change. He’s a proud man, he doesn’t like to admit that he’s out of his depths. That doesn’t excuse him from trying though.”

Santana nods through her tears.

“You two are so alike sometimes,” Maribel notes with a sigh, “You both have so many emotions that you don’t show often. You bottle it up until you can’t handle it anymore then it gets messy. I wish I could figure out a way to make things easier.”

“Yeah. Me too,” Santana bites her lip, “I just want things to be easy.”

“It’ll happen. Until then, you have me and I’m always here for you. Whatever it is, you can tell me. I don’t want you harboring things anymore,” Maribel replies, “I’ll sort Papi out if I have to, okay?”

That makes Santana smile, “Okay.”

She gets to thinking about how her corner is starting to grow: first Quinn, then Brittany, and now Maribel. To be fair, Maribel’s always been in her corner but this kind of openness is new. It gives Santana a little hope and that’s new too.

“Okay,” Maribel grins as she moves to stand, “Well I’ll let you get back to your work. Don’t be on your phone all day.”

“Wait,” Santana says shyly, “There is something I want to talk to you about.”

“Okay,” Maribel settles again.

Santana can’t believe she’s about to say this out loud, but she has spent the last days thinking about the lack of progress she’s made and everything Quinn said about her happiness. All this time spent alone with her thoughts has her thinking about everything she wants and everything she doesn’t – especially when it comes to her future.

After what Maribel said about not wanting Santana to harbor things, Santana thinks now is a good time to try being honest for a change.

“I…” Santana starts, “I don’t want to go to Harvard.”

Maribel smiles softly, “I know.”

Santana blinks, “You do? How?”

“Santana, I’m your mother. I know everything,” Maribel’s smirk falters, “Well, _almost_ everything. You get this glazed over look in your eye whenever Papi starts talking about it. He might’ve not picked up on it, but I have.”

An overwhelming sense of relief hits Santana. Other than desperately trying to hide the fact that she’s gay, not wanting to go to Harvard has been the second biggest secret she’s ever kept.

“And you’re not mad?” Santana asks out of disbelief.

“Of course not,” Maribel replies, “It’s not my place. I just want you to go to college.”

Santana lets out a little gasp. She’s gone with her dad’s wishes for so long because she didn’t want to let her parents down. She thought they were on the same page the whole time, she’s more than surprised that they aren’t.

Santana’s shoulders droop, “Why haven’t you ever said anything if you knew that this wasn’t what I wanted?”

“This is something between you and your father,” Maribel says, “I can be here for support but if you aren’t honest with him then he’ll just continue thinking this is what you want too. I can’t do the work for you.”

“I don’t know how to tell him that it’s not my dream to go there,” Santana admits, “I don’t know where I want to go, but I know it isn’t Harvard. I just don’t want to be the one that ends the Lopez Legacy.”

“Oh mija,” Maribel sighs, “You can’t put that kind of pressure on yourself. This is _your_ life, you decide how you want to live it – not your father.”

“Well, he doesn’t really make it easy for me to have a different opinion,” Santana grumbles.

“Listen,” Maribel says, “You might have these slip-ups every so often but we raised a bright young woman and I have no doubt that you will make the right decision when it comes to your future. Papi just wants what’s best for you, but this is ultimately your choice.”

Santana feels both relief and guilt, “If I tell him it’ll break his heart.”

“He’ll live,” Maribel smirked, “I know how hard you can be on yourself. You get that from him too, but you are doing an amazing job despite the obstacles you’ve faced already. You’re strong and you’ve got a good head on your shoulders. I’m proud of who you’re becoming.”

Santana gives her mom a watery smile. She hasn’t heard anyone say they’re proud of her in so long, she almost forgot what it felt like to _not_ be a disappointment for once.

“I just want you to remember that you’re still young and it doesn’t have to be so serious all the time. You’re allowed to enjoy yourself and have fun too,” Maribel says, “But not _too_ much fun. There are still rules.”

Santana chuckles at that.

Maribel gets up and wraps her arms around Santana’s shoulders so that she can kiss the top of her head, “We just want you to be happy. That’s what’s important.”

Santana nods, “Thanks.”

Maribel only smiles, “Okay. Come down in an hour or so. You’re on candy duty.”

Santana instantly pouts, “What about my happiness?”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Maribel chuckles, “Think of it as community service.”

\\\

By dusk, Santana’s downstairs in her coziest sweatpants sitting near the front door while she awaits the trick-or-treaters. Maribel has decorated their porch with pumpkins from the farmer’s market and faux spiderwebs and she putters around the house wearing a witch hat.

Why _she_ doesn’t pass out the candy instead is a mystery to Santana.

She just smirks at how enthusiastic her mom can be while glancing down at her own casual outfit. She considered dressing up – after all, she loves a costume – but she didn’t want to waste her time just for a few trick-or-treaters.

If she were going to Puck’s, it would be a completely different story.

She and Quinn would spend hours getting ready together just so they could knock everyone on their asses with their awesome costumes. They’ve done for three years in a row, but it looks like she’ll be breaking that tradition this year and that’s a little bittersweet.

She _just_ got off being grounded so she’s a little hesitant about asking to go anywhere so soon. Her dad’s already left for work so she only has to get approval from her mom, but that can go either way and she’s not sure if she’s ready to press her luck.

It’s then that the doorbell rings and Santana’s back up once more. She reaches for the giant bowl of candy before answering the door. She’s expecting a group of kids just a couple years younger than her trying to score some free candy again, but instead she finds two familiar blondes staring back at her.

“Trick or treat!” Pete sings as he holds up his plastic jack-o-lantern bucket. It takes him a second to realize who it is standing in the doorway and soon his face fills with a surprised grin, “Santana! Britt, it’s Santana!”

Santana just looks down at him through her smile then back up at Brittany. The quarterback is dressed up as a pirate and Pete is by her side wearing all green. They make an adorable pair and Santana can’t help but smile wider at the sight of them.

“I didn’t know you lived in this neighborhood,” Brittany says with her smile is as brilliant as ever, “This is such a cool surprise.” 

“Yup! Lived here all my life,” Santana replies before looking to Pete, “I like your costumes. Let me guess – Peter Pan and Captain Hook?”

“You got mine right! Britt’s just a regular pirate,” Pete chuckles before he reaches for his sister’s hand, “See? No hook.”

Brittany agrees, “They’re surprisingly really hard to find.”

“I’m sure,” Santana smirks, “I think you’ve got the best costume I’ve seen all night, Pete.”

“Really?”

“Totally,” Santana nods as she grabs a big fistful of candy, “You can have extra.”

Pete gasps, “No way!”

“Don’t spoil him,” Brittany jokes.

“Please,” Santana brushes off, “The faster I run out, the sooner I can turn off our light and get back to a boring night in. Plus, I rather this go to people who actually dress up and not a Freshman dressed in all black claiming to be a burglar.”

“Well in that case,” Brittany goes to hold up her bucket too, “Trick or treat.”

Santana obliges and she can’t help but laugh at how excited the pair of them get over seeing that she has their favorite candies to give away. In the few minutes she has gotten to be in their presence, Santana already feels a million times lighter.

“What do we say, Pete?” Brittany prompts once Santana empties her bowl into their buckets.

“Thanks Santana!” Pete says with a toothy grin.

“Yeah, thanks Santana,” Brittany says too and there’s that soft smile playing at her lips. It’s the same one Santana found herself daydreaming a lot about over the past few days. It’s the same one that makes her feel warm all over.

“That’s okay,” Santana replies dreamily. She clears her throat when she realizes how much of a dork she must look like, “Uhh, I wouldn’t go to the house next door. Pretty sure she hands out apples instead of candy.”

“Noted,” Brittany says with a chuckle, “We’ll probably head home anyway. I think we’ve got enough candy to last us all year. Right, Petey?”

“I think we do too,” Pete grins as he looks down at his bucket, “Look at all of this, Britt! Santana really is the best.”

“Yeah she is,” Brittany winks at Santana before looking to Pete, “You’re a lucky kid!”

Santana feels herself getting flustered all over again. God, she wishes she could have that kind of effect on Brittany. Guys were so easy to rile up but the roles have been completely flipped on her when it comes to girls. Where the hell has her confidence gone?

“So…are you still grounded?” Brittany wonders while Pete’s happily distracted with shuffling around in his bucket, “I feel like I haven’t seen you in awhile even though we have class together.”

 _“Does she miss me? It sure sounds like she does,”_ Santana thinks.

“Weirdly enough, I’m not,” Santana tells her, “I’m a free woman as of an hour ago.”

“That’s awesome!” Brittany says before lowering her voice, “You never told me what happened between you and JBI.”

“It’s really not important,” Santana brushes off. They’re having a nice chat, no need to ruin it by drudging up her annoyance towards JBI. Instead she changes the subject, “Are you going to Puck’s party later?”

Brittany sighs as adjusts her pirate hat, “I wasn’t going to but Mike and Sam have been all over me about how cool it’ll be – better than Puck’s usual parties because he goes all out with decorations and stuff.”

“It’s true, he does,” Santana agrees, “Halloween’s like his favorite holiday or something.”

“Right. So I’ll probably head over once I take this one home,” Brittany says with a nod to Pete, “Were you going to go now that you’re not grounded anymore?”

“I might make an appearance,” Santana shrugs although she’s yet to ask, “We’ll see.”

Brittany starts to smirk, “Well, maybe I’ll see you there then.”

Santana swears she hears flirtiness in her tone so she matches it, “Maybe you will.”

“Can I go too?” Pete cuts in cutely, “I like parties.”

“It’ll probably be super boring for you, just a bunch of older kids,” Brittany tells him with a pat on his head before turning back to Santana, “I’m going to get him home. I’ll see you?”

Santana just nods before waving to Brittany’s little brother, “Bye Pete.”

As he waves back, Santana waits until they’re walking down the block again before she closes the door. There’s this big smile on her face but it only lasts for a second more before she remembers that she still needs to ask Maribel if she can even go to this stupid party.

She doubts she’ll get away that easy so she has to come up with some kind of excuse to get out because the idea of spending some time with Brittany again is just too good to pass up. Plus Puck always has alcohol at these things and that’s exactly what she needs to give her a boost of courage.

She thinks about what everyone has been saying about how her happiness is important and she can argue that this party directly influences that. It would go against everything they’ve said if she weren’t allowed to go, right?

\\\

Miraculously, Santana’s big fat lie about going over to Quinn’s house for a horror movie marathon actually works for Maribel. Despite partaking in the decorations of the holiday, Maribel doesn’t do horror movies so Santana knew she wouldn’t suggest for Quinn to come over instead.

It takes Santana about an hour before she’s heading off to Quinn’s to finish getting ready for the party. Quinn’s ecstatic that her best friend is going and their night is already turning out way better than either of them expected.

\\\

“Ladies!” Puck greets loudly as he finds Santana and Quinn standing on his porch. He’s dressed in what looks to be his mother’s curtains and there’s a red cup in his hand as he gestures for them to come in, “Love your costumes.”

Santana smirks; of course he does, everyone will because she looks hot as hell in her short candy stripper dress.

“You can take my temperature _anytime_ ,” Puck flirts as Santana passes him.

“Gross,” Santana groans, “What are you supposed to be anyway? A giant baby?”

Puck scowls, “I’m Caesar! Can’t you tell by the badass toga?”

Santana chuckles, “Clearly I cannot.”

Puck just huffs before he wanders back into the crowd of people spread out around his house. Santana recognizes most of them from either the Cheerios or the Titans but there are others that are only there because they’re rich or equally popular – like Sugar, for example, who is chatting up the DJ.

Like always, Puck’s gone all out on the decorating. The usual lighting has been replaced with purple and blue back lights, there are glow in the dark faux cobwebs everywhere, there’s an excess of skull and bat cutouts dangling from the ceiling, and there’s even a smoke machine!

She’ll deny it if it ever comes out, but Puck really does know how to throw a party.

Santana follows behind Quinn as they wander through the dark lit house but she can’t help but keep any eye out for another blonde she’s anxious to see again. She wonders if she should’ve texted Brittany, but she doesn’t want to seem too eager. If they happen to run into each other here it would be because fate allowed it.

Okay, that sounds dramatic but it’s true.

She never texted the guys she use to hook up with about meeting up at a party – not that she’s considering _hooking up_ with Brittany because she would be way out of her depths. It’s purely an example – at least that’s what she’s telling herself as she follows behind Quinn.

Usually she would just turn up to these things whenever she wanted. Her presence was like a surprise and if she were to run into any of those guys it would just be a coincidence and whatever happened after that happened.

She couldn’t seem needy or desperate. She’s Santana Lopez; people are meant to fight for her attention, not the other way around. With Brittany, it shouldn’t be any different.

\\\

Santana and Quinn make their way into the kitchen where various bottles of alcohol litter the counter along with several kinds of mixers and red cups. Being a little more experienced with drink-making, Santana offers to make them a couple of cocktails while Quinn keeps a lookout for Mike.

They’re barely in there for a couple of minutes before Mike’s surprising Quinn with a hug from behind and coming around to press kisses against Quinn’s cheek. Santana smiles at the pair, but there’s a little piece of her deep down that feels a little envious of them. It’s been awhile since she’s had something that resembles intimacy and she misses it a little, but she keeps that to herself as she hands Quinn her drink.

“Hey Santana,” Mike greets – he’s dressed up like a Ninja Turtle – and there’s a little sway to his stance, “Cool costume!”

“Thanks,” Santana nods as she takes a sip of her drink, “Yours is kind of cool too.”

Mike bows his head before he wraps an arm around Quinn. He’s giving her this dopy, lovesick puppy look, “I like your costume too, babe.”

Quinn just chuckles, “How long have you been here?”

“Just a couple hours,” Mike shrugs, “Sam’s around here somewhere. We lost at beer pong against Brittany and Puck so I’m just a _little_ bit drunk. ”

“I can see that,” Quinn smirks.

Santana perks up a little at the sound of the blonde’s name but she tries to play it cool even though she’s already itching to see her. She reminds herself of all that confidence she use to possess and holds her head high as she subtly glances around.

Quinn notices and starts to smirk. She turns to Mike and asks, “You said Brittany’s here?”

“Yeah,” Mike nods and starts to look around, “She’s right over…there!”

Santana follows where Mike points. She finds the blonde in question chatting with some guy on the basketball team over by the dining room. Brittany isn’t wearing the same costume Santana saw her in before – this one’s way tighter and shows a lot more skin. Santana finds herself zoning in on the hipbone that peeks out between the top of her jeans cut-offs and the hem of her tank top.

Suddenly the room feels kind of stuffy and Santana takes a big gulp of her drink to stay cool.

There’s a drink in Brittany’s hand too and her cheeks are a little flushed, but what catches Santana’s attention the most is Brittany’s body language. She’s smiling and laughing like usual, but the way she’s leaning towards the guy has Santana’s smile faltering.

She notices the sly grin the guy gives the quarterback, she notices the way Brittany tucks her hair behind her ear. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out what’s going on there.

They’re flirting and that doesn’t sit well with Santana at all, but she’s in no position to stomp over there and tell him to fuck off. Brittany isn’t hers, she can’t tell her who she can or can’t flirt with. They’re just _friends_ and apparently _that’s that_.

Quinn watches Santana start to simmer, “You going to talk to her or just stare at her from here?”

Santana just gives her a look. There’s no way in hell she’s going over there. Way to look desperate, right? No way. She’s out at a party that she isn’t supposed to be at, it’s a Saturday night, it’s Halloween, and she isn’t grounded anymore; she’s not going to go out of her way to talk to Brittany when she clearly looks… _busy_.

What she _is_ going to do is drink more and dance the night away like she use to before everything got fucked up. She’s going to have some fun for once and if she happens to cross Brittany’s path then so be it but she isn’t going to go cry in the corner if not.

No, the Old Santana is back and she’s going to live it up!

Santana reaches for the bottle of tequila and looks to Quinn and Mike, “Shots?”

“Did someone say _shots_?” Sam cheers as he stumbles into the kitchen from who knows where. He’s wearing a whole Captain America suit, complete with the shield stuck to his back.

Mike instantly cheers him on and the four of them line up their shots and tip them back in one swift motion. Santana scrunches her nose at the way the liquid feels going down, but she’s already going for another.

Soon, she won’t feel the slight burn and once that happens she really knows the Old Santana is definitely back.

“Santana,” Quinn whispers after the third round, “We weren’t going to get messy.”

“I’m not going to,” Santana tells her as the tequila settles warmly in her chest, “I’m just trying to loosen up.”

“Pretty sure you can do that without doing back to back shots,” Quinn points out.

Santana rolls her eyes, “Look Q, this has been a real fucking week for me and I need this. I need some fun in my life. That’s what you’ve been saying right? Whatever makes me happy? Currently what makes me happy is this tequila.”

Quinn eyes her warily, “Yeah, but just slow down. We just got here.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Santana smirks as she reaches for her cocktail, “I’m good. Go have fun with your boy. I’m gonna dance!”

She can slowly start to feel the affects of the alcohol settling in so she doesn’t wait for Quinn to reply before she’s wandering off to the dancefloor. She makes sure to avoid looking in Brittany’s direction as she goes, she doesn’t want to chance a glance at seeing something she doesn’t want to.

Maybe in an hour or so she’ll be drunk enough to act on her feelings, but right now she’s still denying she has them.

\\\

Of all people she could run into once she gets to the dancefloor, Sugar’s the first who squeals when she spots Santana making her way into the sea of swaying bodies.

“Oh my God, you look so hot!” Sugar compliments excitedly – she’s dressed like a character out of Candy Land which is actually pretty fitting for her.

Santana swells with pride, because she _knows_ she looks good. Her hair, her make up, the amazing things this corset does to her cleavage. She’s the hottest person at this whole party.

It’s then that she accidentally glances Brittany’s way again. This time she’s staring right at Santana and those blue, blue eyes send a shiver down her spine. She hasn’t seen Brittany look at her the way she is now, but Santana’s familiar with the stare no matter who the person is.

She’s being checked out and it’s looking like Brittany’s loving what she sees.

Santana takes another sip of her drink. It seems that the alcohol is already working its magic and giving her that boost of confidence she’s been searching for all this time. All she has to do is keep it up. She has to show Brittany she isn’t always overly emotional and soft, sometimes she’s a force to be reckoned with.

Santana can see that the guy Brittany’s with is still chatting her up, but the longer Brittany stares at her from across the room the less of her attention he actually has. It’s a strange feeling because although they’re both surrounded by so many people with so much going on around them, it feels like they’re the only ones in the room.

Santana can only hope that it feels the same for Brittany.

But she isn’t going to wait around and ask, so instead she just smirks as she turns away. She looks around her and grabs whoever’s closest to dance with which happens to be Sam. When did he get there? Santana has no idea and she doesn’t care. She just needs a warm body with an ounce of rhythm.

“Woah,” Sam gasps when Santana tugs him in close. He starts to follow along with Santana’s movements and soon Sugar’s joining the mix too.

“Santana sandwich!” Sugar cheers.

Santana only tips her red cup towards the girl in greeting as she hands herself over to the loud music.

\\\\\\\\\

From across the room, Brittany continues to watch Santana dance with Sam and Sugar. Her heart is racing and everything in her is saying _get over there_ but her limbs feel a little sluggish. She blames the alcohol so all she can do is stand there and stare and hope that her jaw hasn’t dropped. 

She’s been to many parties in her life. She’s seen many people dancing. She’s seen many people in costumes. What she _hasn’t_ seen is Santana _at_ a party _in_ costume _dancing_ and wow, what a sight that is. She can’t lie and say she isn’t attracted to Santana; she’s probably been attracted to her since the first time she saw her but that was back when she thought the Co-Captain was straight.

 _Santana_ being _straight_ is laughable now that Brittany knows her. It also makes her feel hopeful because she actually stands a chance, maybe. With the way Santana’s currently staring at her, like she’s trying to lure her over – Brittany doesn’t know how long she’ll be able to last. Brittany goes to take a gulp of her drink just to cool down, but she finds that her cup is already empty.

“So yeah, I think you’re really cool and you’re like…the hottest Harley Quinn I’ve ever seen,” Brittany hears the guy she’s with ramble, “We should like – “ 

“Sorry,” Brittany stops him. She can’t actually remember the guy’s name, maybe Chad? She doesn’t know and at this moment in time she doesn’t really care either. She points to her drink, “I need a refill.”

“I’ll go with you,” Chad offers.

“No, no. That’s okay,” Brittany smiles politely, “I’m…you’d probably have better luck with someone else I think.”

“Oh,” He frowns, “Right.”

Brittany glances Santana’s way again. This time the brunette is laughing as she holds her red cup high in the air. Sam and Sugar still sandwich her, but Brittany finds herself wishing she could be apart of that sandwich too.

With the way she’s feeling though, maybe she can make that happen.

She might need another drink first.

“Yeah, sorry Chad,” She pats his shoulder, “Nice talking to you though.”

Chad just stands there looking confused, “My name is Kyle?”

“Whoops,” Brittany barely looks embarrassed before walking away.

\\\\\\\\\

Santana’s now coasting on a pretty great buzz. She almost forgets that Brittany’s watching her, but when she looks up in that directions the blonde is no longer there.

Neither is Kyle.

Santana frowns for a moment before she pushes away that sinking feeling. She’s here to have a good time so she’s damn well gonna! She keeps dancing along with Sam and Sugar and Brittany becomes a distant thought.

Sugar’s crazy as hell like always, but in this very moment Santana isn’t annoyed by it all. In fact, she’s finding it hilarious. Meanwhile Sam is just being his usual goofy self. With the pair of them combined, Santana’s surprised she’s actually have a really great time.

That is until Sugar accidentally slaps Santana’s cup out of her hand and it disappears into the crowd of dancing bodies.

“Hey! Who threw that?” Santana hears someone call out over the music. It sounds like Puck and it has her laughing even harder before she’s stumbling towards the kitchen to get a new cup.

\\\

“You guys are still in here?” Santana teases when she sees Quinn and Mike cuddled up in the corner near the door that leads out to the back patio.

“You haven’t been gone long,” Quinn tells her while Santana moves to make another drink. She pushes away from Mike and comes to Santana’s side, “You should slow down.”

Santana frowns, “Chill, Q. Sugar dropped my other drink. I didn’t even get to finish it.”

Quinn eyes her like she’s searching for the truth, “Alright fine, but just think about who’s watching.”

Santana rolls her eyes, “Care about what people think, don’t care about what people think. I don’t have the energy for it anymore. I just want to have fun.”

“Okay,” Quinn smiles apologetically as she turns to leave the kitchen with Mike, “Come find me when you want to leave.”

“You’ll be waiting awhile,” Santana quips as she heads back to the dancefloor with a fresh drink.

\\\\\\\\\

After a quick bathroom break, Brittany’s on her way to the kitchen for another drink.

“Pierce!” Matt calls out as she enters from the side door. He goes to bump fists with her, “I’ve been looking for you. You’ve been challenged at another round of pong, you in?”

Brittany bites her lip and looks back at the dancefloor through the door of the other entrance.

Santana’s still in her own little world out there and Brittany’s itching to join her, but she’s not sure she can trust herself. Alcohol and hormones aren’t the best combination, no matter how bad she wants to test her luck. 

“Yeah! I’ll play,” Brittany answers and soon she’s getting pulled towards the beer pong table set up in the garage.

Once she gets inside, she’s surprised to see who the new challengers are.

“You’re going down this time, Britt!” Mike teases as he drapes his arm around Quinn’s shoulders, “I’ve got the best Pong player there is on my side.”

Quinn only smirks as Brittany and Matt join them at the opposite end of the table.

“Whatever dude, Brittany’s reigning champ!” Matt jokes, “Sorry Quinn.”

“No pressure right?” Brittany laughs as she’s handed the ball first.

“Let’s see what you got,” Quinn prompts.

Brittany nods and lines up her shot. She narrows her eyes and chooses a target then with a flick of her wrist she lets the tiny ball fly. She sinks it in the first cup and Matt is cheering the second it plops against the beer.

“Drink up, Fabray,” Brittany says with a proud grin before high fiving Matt.

\\\

It’s the most heated game of beer pong Brittany has played in a long time. Quinn’s competitive streak is on full display and the pressure is on for Brittany to stay undefeated. They’ve gained quite the crowd as only two cups remain on both ends of the table. Usually, the more Brittany drinks the better her aim becomes but it’s not working so much this time. In her defense, she’s becoming a little distracted. She hadn’t expected the round to go on for so long and she just hopes that Santana’s still around and maybe she can sneak in a dance?

She knows she said she wouldn’t, but she’s hitting that point in the night where she’s starting to change her mind about a lot of things she said she wouldn’t do. She just wants to dance now, particularly with Santana.

Maybe if she focuses really hard she can finally wrap this game up? All she needs to do is sink her two cups before Quinn can sink her final two. Easy!

Quinn steps up to take her shot and Brittany and Matt do their best to throw her off, but she’s determined as ever.

The ball lands perfectly!

“Ohhhhh! Take that, Britt!” Mike cheers.

“Shit,” Brittany grumbles. She might actually lose this one.

\\\\\\\\\

Back on the dancefloor, Santana has changed dancing partners so many times she doesn’t even know who’s around anymore. They’re just bodies to her by now and she’s perfectly fine with that. Brittany’s still nowhere to be found and she tries her to not think about it as she polishes off another drink.

Right about now, she would be sitting on some guys lap while they make out but this isn’t last year anymore. Drunken make out sessions are a thing of the past, not like they ever did anything for her anyway but habits, they’re hard to break even now.

She feels the familiar urge to do something she shouldn’t, but she’s not too far gone that she’ll do something stupid – for example, make out with the current guy she’s dancing with. Again, he’s just a body and when she finds her cup is empty once again, she has no problem leaving him behind to head for the kitchen.

\\\

Santana’s trying her best to concentrate as she makes another drink for herself but she accidentally overpours the rum. It sloshes on the counter as she pulls back.

“Fuck,” She mutters at seeing the waste. 

“You’d make a great bartender,” A familiar voice compliments ; the sound of it makes Santana’s heart flutter.

She turns to find Brittany smirking. She had been standing at the opposite end of the counter making her own drink. How Santana didn’t spot her on her way in, she has no idea.

What’s even more interesting is that there isn’t a tall, basketball player hanging around her this time. Brittany’s alone with only a red solo cup keeping her company.

Santana’s confidence builds as she tops off her drink with juice, “Where’s Kyle?”

“Who?”

“The lanky giant you were talking to with zero game.”

Was it her intention to come off sounding a little jealous? No, not really but fuck it. With how she’s currently feeling, she really doesn’t care. Brittany’s awesome and blonde and so smart, she deserves someone better than fucking Kyle.

“I swore he said his name was Chad,” Brittany mumbles to herself before shrugging, “Don’t know where he’s gone.”

Santana snorts, “Seemed like you two were getting along alright.”

Brittany gives her a look and Santana starts to see the edges of a Cheshire grin. Maybe Santana’s not being so discreet when it comes to her dislike for anyone that Brittany talks to that isn’t her.

“You jealous?” Brittany asks.

Santana rolls her eyes and hides behind her cup as she takes a drink.

“You sound kinda jealous,” Brittany smirks.

“I’m not,” Santana shrugs, “Kyle’s a moron. Don’t waste your time on him.”

“I wasn’t going to,” Brittany tells her, “I rather talk to you instead.”

Santana nearly chokes on her drink. She’s able to pull off a smooth recovery though.

“Oh really?” Santana quirks a brow.

“Mhmm,” Brittany hums, “I’ve been waiting all night for you to turn up.”

Santana watches the blonde begin to smirk and it makes her feel warm all over. Then again, maybe that’s the tequila? No wait, she’s onto the rum now! Whatever, she takes a sip of her new drink just to see.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Santana teases.

“It was well worth the wait,” Brittany continues as she takes a drink too.

“I’m sure,” Santana flirts. She’s not sure what she was about to say next, but they’re soon interrupted as Mike, Quinn, Sam and Puck enter the kitchen.

Puck’s grumbling to Sam about someone throwing a drink at him on the dancefloor so his toga is now soaked in tequila and pineapple juice from the smell of it. Mike and Quinn have these shit-eating grins on as they all come to gather around the island counter where Santana and Brittany are standing.

Santana pushes into Brittany’s side to make room for the others, but she’s so distracted by Puck’s whining that she doesn’t notice the way Brittany’s fingers brush against her hip to steady her.

“God, just take a shot and quit your bitching already!” Santana groans as she pours Puck a shot and slides it to him.

“What is this, Lopez?” Puck stares down at the tequila, “No lime, no salt? You’ve lost your touch.”

“This is _your_ house, get your own shit,” Santana waves him off.

He just frowns as he turns to grab a lime and cutting board.

“Lets all do one!” Sam slurs with this big dopy grin on, Santana’s not sure how the guy is still standing after all he’s had tonight.

“I’ll do one too,” Quinn says next to Santana’s surprise.

“Really?” Santana’s brows rise.

“I’m celebrating,” Quinn smirks as she looks to Brittany, “I’m the new Queen of Beer Pong.”

Brittany bows her head, “It was a close one.”

“Wait, you guys played together?” Santana turns to look at Brittany.

The blonde shrugs, “Yeah. Quinn’s really good too. The longest game I’ve played all night.”

Santana starts to connect the dots and instantly feels ridiculous for thinking Brittany was off doing who knows what with dumbass Kyle.

“Alright enough talking, more drinking,” Puck interrupts as he passes out shots.

There’s one for each of them and Santana slides around Brittany to get a little more elbow room. It’s a bad move though because now Brittany’s standing just in front of her and she can see the way she licks the back of her hand before sprinkling the wet stripe with salt.

Santana’s mouth goes dry at the sight and she has to avert her eyes to keep her thoughts from wandering. It doesn’t last long though because Brittany’s passing the salt to her next. To make matters even worse, she doesn’t look away as Santana does the same to the back of her hand.

“Hot,” Puck mumbles.

“Dude,” Sam chastises, “Not cool.”

“What? I have eyes and I’m a guy, I can’t help it!” Puck argues.

Santana just rolls her eyes and passes the salt to Quinn. To think she lost her virginity to him is such a crazy concept.

Once everyone’s finally situated, Puck starts the countdown and they all toss the shot back. What’s funny is that everyone does it differently; some take the shot first, some lick the salt first and some do the lime. It always triggers the debate on who does it the right way which triggers another round to test which way is better.

By the third round, Puck’s suggesting they do body shots with this sly smirk on his face.

“Sure,” Santana answers, “You do one off of Sam.”

Puck’s smirk instantly falls. Sam considers it.

“I mean,” Sam hums.

“No way,” Puck shakes his head, “I don’t swing that way.”

Mike and Quinn just laugh while Sam shrugs.

“A shot is a shot,” He says, “You wanna do it off of me instead?”

“Dude no.”

“I’ll do it,” Brittany surprises everyone.

Santana looks to her in surprise too.

“What?” Brittany chuckles, “Like he said, a shot is a shot.”

This is not at all how Santana expected this to turn out, but Brittany and Sam start to talk about who is doing what where. Santana is _so_ not ready to witness this.

Puck’s back to smirking and Quinn’s shaking her head.

“Pussy,” She calls Puck.

“What?” Puck frowns.

“You heard me.”

“I’m not licking another dude, that’s gay.”

“Pussy,” Mike chimes in next.

“Fuck off, Chang. You do it then!”

“It was _your_ idea.”

“Yeah because I wanted the girls to do it, not _me_!”

“Too bad… _pussy_.”

Santana starts to laugh at how the couple starts to rile Puck up. It gets to the point that Puck starts to puff out his chest.

“I’m not a pussy,” He argues, “Out of the way, Pierce.”

Brittany raises a brow but moves back to stand next to Santana again as Puck takes her place. There’s a stripe of salt on Sam’s shoulder, not the riskiest place Santana has ever seen someone lick salt off of another, but Puck looks warily at it anyway.

“Okay,” Puck starts to pump himself up. Then without another word he goes in and quickly licks the salt off of Sam’s shoulder before taking the shot – which Sam ends up just handing to him instead – then Puck throws the whole lime slice into his mouth and starts to chew – rind and all.

It’s the funniest thing Santana’s seen in her whole life and her belly aches from how hard she’s laughing.

“This doesn’t leave the fucking room!” Puck orders as he rushes over to the sink to scrub his lips, “No one say a single word about this every again.”

No one makes any promises as most of them head out to the dance floor.

\\\

Brittany and Santana hang back for the moment as they go back to sipping on their regular drinks. Santana has a hard time keeping eye contact, especially since Brittany’s wearing the shortest pair of shorts she’s ever seen. Her legs go on for miles and Santana can’t stop staring.

Apparently she isn’t the only one though. She keeps catching Brittany staring at her chest and if it were anyone else it might make her feel gross, but when it’s Brittany, Santana just feels sexy.

“You know, it’s not polite to stare,” Santana teases when she catches her a fourth time.

“I’m admiring,” Brittany corrects, “It doesn’t count.”

“Uh-huh.”

Brittany just chuckles as she stares into her cup. Her cheeks are becoming flushed again and Santana wonders if its because of the alcohol or her. God, she hopes it’s the latter.

“I saw you earlier,” Brittany says, “You told me you didn’t dance,”

Santana feels herself being drawn in, “That wasn’t dancing.”

“No?” Brittany tilts her head to the side and smiles slyly, “It sure looked like dancing to me.”

Santana turns to face her fully this time, but it’s almost too much for Santana to handle. Seeing Brittany this close, being able to smell her perfume and see every freckle on the apples of her cheeks stares is a lot to take in at once.

Santana licks her lips as she leans away a little, “Well, it wasn’t.”

Brittany just slides in closer, “Come show me what is then.”

It’s a bit of déjà vu but there’s not really any room for argument, not when Brittany’s looking the way she does and her lips are just right there only inches away from Santana’s. Who would argue anyway? Santana feels defenseless, but she also feels like she can regain the upper hand here if she stays focused.

The point of this night was to show Brittany that she can have fun too. She can let loose. Brittany isn’t the only one around here with some confidence and Santana will happily show her that – with the help of alcohol because she’s still working up to doing it on her own.

And with the current buzz she’s feeling, anything’s possible.

“Let’s go,” is all Santana says as she takes Brittany by the hand and guides her back out to the dancefloor.

\\\\\\\\\

Brittany remembers Santana once saying that she wouldn’t be able to handle dancing with her and Brittany can’t believe how true that actually is now. Maybe it’s the alcohol, maybe it’s the build up of flirty signals they’ve been giving each other this entire night, but whatever it is has Brittany in a daze.

Dancing has always been a fun little outlet for Brittany, nothing she’s ever taken too seriously. She’s usually the first on the dancefloor and the last one off. Her partners filter in and out but Brittany’s never paid too much attention to that so long as she gets to keep dancing.

She finds herself paying attention now though, because when it comes to Santana how can you not? Even with Santana’s back to her, it’s the hottest thing Brittany’s ever experienced.

It only took her half a song, but Brittany’s decided: dancing with Santana is her new favorite thing.

The way they move together to the music is so fluid and effortless. Their hips fit together like they were made to and any time Santana’s hand glides along Brittany’s forearm or her fingers tease up the side of Brittany’s neck it feels like it leaves a fiery path behind.

Now that she has felt what it’s like to be touched by her, Brittany just wants Santana’s hands on her always.

And if she was sober, she would be reeling those thoughts back in because they’re meant to be friends but she senses that those lines are getting blurrier. There’s no time to figure it out now though, not when Santana’s grinding her perfect ass into Brittany and reaching for the blonde’s free hand so she can press it to her waist.

The blonde definitely can’t think straight with _that_ going on, so she just gives in to whatever’s happening and she’ll deal with the consequences later.

Right now, she just wants to dance with Santana.

\\\

And Brittany does.

She dances with Santana for what feels like hours. In reality, it probably only lasts for a handful of songs before their cups are empty again. Brittany took them and set them on a nearby speaker, but now that both of their hands are free it’s easier for them to wander.

Brittany isn’t even noticing the nearby glances aimed their way. The lights are too low for her to see very much, but all she really cares about is standing right in front of her. Santana shifts so she’s facing Brittany and there’s this sultry look in her eyes that has the blonde biting her lip.

She’s never wanted to kiss someone so bad in her whole life, but even as drunk as she is right now, she knows that’s still a line to be wary of crossing.

“You’ve got moves, Pierce,” Santana compliments with her voice a little raspy but there’s a distinct slur to her words.

“Speak for yourself,” Brittany giggles, “I knew you could dance.”

Santana looks a little bashful as she laughs too. Brittany can barely hear it over the music, but she has the sound memorized by now. To her surprise though, the bashfulness fades and soon Santana’s hands are sliding up Brittany’s sides – slow, almost methodical. 

Brittany sucks in a breath at the feel but her hands linger around Santana, unsure of where they should go. She wants to touch her here and there and everywhere but where to go first? She’s so distracted by how Santana’s move with such certainty, such confidence that it has her faltering at making a move of her own.

Oh, how the tables have turned!

Then as if Santana could read Brittany’s mind, she says, “Put them on me.”

Brittany feels the temperature in the room jump.

There’s this newfound sparkle in Santana’s eyes but there’s something else there as well that Brittany isn’t familiar with – at least, not when it comes to Santana. She’s seen this particular look in other’s eyes before and it usually leads to things that friends shouldn’t do. 

But Brittany can’t be the only that feels this undeniable chemistry. She can’t be making up the tension between them, right? There’s something here, she can feel it.

Brittany licks her lips and asks, “Where?”

“Wherever you want,” Santana tells her and Brittany just about faints at the request.

But she doesn’t. No, instead her hands go to cup Santana’s cheeks and she’s leaning in without a second thought. She’s moving like she’s on a mission. Her eyes flutter shut and she continues to lean in closer and closer and closer – but then she feels a hand press against her abs.

It’s soft – barely there – but it’s like a hand brake has been pulled and Brittany instantly blinks out of her daze. It looks like Santana has too and they just stare at each other, eyes flickering back and forth. They’re searching for something, but Santana’s unreadable.

“I-I’m sorry,” Brittany mumbles as she quickly drops her hands like Santana’s now too hot to touch, “I wasn’t – I didn’t mean to.“

She knew the line was there, she literally just thought about how she wasn’t going to cross it and what did she do? Try to cross it! Such a rookie mistake, because clearly she misread the signals. Santana said put her _hands_ on her, not her _lips_ ; what was she thinking?

She’s backing away before Santana can even respond and bumps into another dancer.

“Shit. Sorry,” Brittany mutters but the person barely acknowledges her.

“Wait,” Santana reaches out to her just before Brittany turns away.

Again, the way Santana is looking at her leaves Brittany confused. She doesn’t look angry but she doesn’t look happy either. Brittany doesn’t know what to think, so she just waits even if the grip Santana has on her wrist feels tighter than it actually is.

“I,” Santana breathes out. She’s looking a little uneasy, “I think I need some air.”

Brittany nods, “Sure.”

“Can we go outside?” She asks.

Brittany nods again and looks around for a clear path outside. The quickest way is through the kitchen and out to the back patio. There doesn’t look to be many people out there – probably because it’s cold as hell out.

“We can go this way,” She tells Santana and turns to lead the way.

What she doesn’t expect is for Santana to slide her hand into hers before she goes. It has Brittany glancing down to make sure it isn’t the booze making things up. It’s not and Brittany starts to feel a little hopeful.

Maybe she doesn’t have much to worry about after all?

\\\

Brittany swipes a bottle of water from the cooler as she leads the way outside. She’s actually surprised Puck even has water bottles on offer, but she’s thankful as she and Santana go to sit on the pool chairs by the far side of the yard.

Santana takes the one on the left and Brittany takes the one on the right. They sit facing each other so their knees bump but their gazes stay averted. Brittany looks to the pool while Santana looks to the trees.

The pool lights are on and cast a cool blue light which is a little relief from the dark blacklights inside. It’s much quieter outside too, the steady thrum of the music can barely be heard and it’s like Brittany can finally hear herself think.

She’s not sure if that’s a good thing yet though as she twists the lid off of the water bottle and passes it to Santana.

“Here,” Brittany says softly, “It’ll make you feel better.”

Santana nods and does as she’s told, taking small sips before offering it to Brittany.

“Have some too,” Santana suggests.

“Okay,” Brittany replies and goes to take a couple sips.

For awhile, they just sit there silently passing the bottle back and forth until Brittany lets Santana have the rest. She already feels herself sobering up because almost kissing your _friend_ kind of does that to a person. She feels so embarrassed.

“I’m sorry about before,” Brittany whispers.

She senses Santana turn to look at her but Brittany can’t meet her gaze just yet.

Santana doesn’t say anything at first and it makes the silence feel even heavier.

\\\

“We can just pretend like that didn’t almost happen,” Brittany offers in attempt to prompt some kind of response out of Santana, “We can just blame it on the alcohol or the heat of the moment or blame it on David Guetta’s catchy club beats? Music makes people do crazy things, so we can just blame it on that and forget it ever almost happened?”

She knows she’s rambling now, but that’s a thing that happens when she’s nervous and Santana definitely makes her nervous and all the silence and anticipation is slowly killing Brittany.

It feels like another four hours goes by and Brittany’s just about hit her breaking point.

“Santana please,” Brittany whispers as she finally looks her way, “Can you just say something?”

Santana turns to her in what seems like slow motion and there’s a soft smile playing at her lips that makes Brittany’s shoulders drop. Brittany watches it grow the longer Santana stares.

“I don’t want to do any of that,” Santana says finally, “I don’t want to blame it on the alcohol or the heat of the moment or David Guetta’s catchy club beats.”

“Okay,” Brittany nods although she’s not sure where this might be going.

“I don’t want to pretend anything,” Santana adds, “And I don’t want to forget.”

Brittany nods again, still trying to piece things together.

Santana pauses, “I just don’t want to be surrounded by nosy people who’ll just want to take this moment from me too.”

“Oh,” It’s like a light bulb goes off for Brittany and she begins to blush, “Right. Too many people around and everything that happened with Dani, I get it. Plus, we’re friends and friends aren’t supposed to…do that.”

Santana places her hand on Brittany’s knee, “I think you and I both know we’re probably a little more than friends by now.”

Brittany’s taken aback by the honesty, but she goes with it, “I guess you’re right.”

The soft smile is still on Santana’s face, “I stopped you in there because I want to be able to see you and hear you and like…be sober enough that I can actually _feel_ my lips when it happens.”

“Of course,” Brittany replies apologetically. Her cheeks still feel hot from embarrassment as she starts to ramble again, “I totally understand and I’m really sorry, Santana. I wasn’t thinking about that and I just – ”

Brittany can’t get another word in because then Santana kisses her.

It takes a second for Brittany to register what’s happening but then her eyes are fluttering shut for the second time that night. Brittany’s so taken aback that all she can do is give into the way Santana pulls her in.

Their noses brush as Santana moves to deepen the kiss with a hand pressed to Brittany’s cheek. The way Santana’s taking charge like this is something Brittany hasn’t experienced much of but all she does is smile and let Santana continue to take the lead.

Brittany’s doing her best to memorize this moment; how Santana tastes a little like pineapple juice and tequila and something that Brittany can only describe as _Santana_. Her lips are like honey; sweet and soft and gooey – wait, maybe not _gooey_ but they definitely are sweet.

Brittany feels like she’s about to float away on a cloud of cotton candy if it wasn’t for Santana’s hand on her cheek. She reaches up to cover it with her own and it’s like another reminder that this is really happening right now. And in the very spot that Brittany first saw Santana those few months ago, they’ve kind of come full circle.

And it should leave Brittany wondering what this means for them now but at this moment in time, she’s in no rush to find out. She’s completely happy spending the rest of her night just like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Also a little housekeeping for those keeping up with me on Tumblr or those that are new to the story, I try my hardest to update every weekend (which can be Friday, Saturday or Sunday). That's pretty generous, so please for the love of all things holy do NOT spam me about an ETA. I am not liable if my inner Snixxx makes an appearance. 
> 
> For the most part though, everyone's really great and I appreciate the love that this story has been getting so far so thank you for your patience and kindness!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Happy New Year wherever you are in the world! Here's to hoping 2021 treats us all a little better. Be safe out there and make sure you eat something before you get litty. Four day old pizza only counts if you actually eat it...trust me LOL.

It’s not until several minutes later that Santana and Brittany finally pull away from each other. Brittany can’t tell if it’s the alcohol or if it’s the way Santana’s lips felt against her own that’s making her head feel a little fuzzy. She’s guessing it might be the latter because – wow.

She was _so_ not expecting Santana to kiss her. She was hoping and wishing and thinking and praying that Santana would, but she didn’t think she’d actually do it. There are no complaints here, obviously. Brittany wouldn’t mind kissing her all night if she could have it her way.

She’s thinking that maybe she can make that happen when she feels Santana pull back even further.

“Why’d you stop?” Brittany pouts.

Santana smiles at the way Brittany’s bottom lip pokes out, “I was just checking.”

“Checking what?” Brittany looks around and confirms that they’re still alone, “No one’s out here.”

“I know. I was just checking that… _that_ was okay,” Santana says as she starts to look a little bashful, “I kind of jumped you.”

“You didn’t,” Brittany chuckles, still feeling like she’s on Cloud 9, “Believe me, if you _did_ I wouldn’t mind it at all.”

“Good to know,” Santana replies with a laugh but she still looks somewhat nervous and it has Brittany’s smile faltering.

The quarterback goes out on a limb and moves to sit closer to Santana. They share the lounge chair now and their bare thighs press against each other’s as Brittany tries to assure her. 

“It was more than okay, Santana,” Brittany tells her.

“Yeah?”

Brittany starts to grin, “Completely unexpected, but more than okay. You can do that again any time.”

Santana peeks up at her through her long lashes, “Any time?”

“Definitely,” Brittany continues to grin.

They’re sharing the same personal bubble now and it’s a little distracting how Santana licks her bottom lip before tugging it between her teeth. It looks like she’s planning her next move, but Brittany gets too caught up in staring to notice. 

“So,” Santana mumbles as she leans in. Her lips hit Brittany’s jawline as she says, “Could I kiss you…here?”

“Yeah,” Brittany shivers at how Santana’s warm breath tickles her neck. She stifles a whimper as Santana presses a soft kiss there. Her hands are begging to move; to feel more of Santana, to find purchase somewhere so she doesn’t float off.

“What about here?” Santana husks against Brittany’s ear before she nips at her lobe.

This time Brittany can’t contain the moan that escapes her. She’s never experienced this side of Santana before and it’s making her _hot_ – she doesn’t know how far Santana’s wanting to go but Brittany doesn’t know how much more of the teasing she can take.

“How about here?” Santana hums before lowering another kiss to the hinge of Brittany’s jaw, “Is it okay to kiss you here?” 

“ _God Santana_ ,” Brittany breathes out as she turns her head slightly.

It’s enough to catch Santana’s lips before they land once more and it feels like heaven.

When Brittany’s hands come up to cup Santana’s cheeks, she hears the brunette let out a whimper. It makes Brittany smile knowing that she can have the same effect that Santana has on her and she moves to deepen the kiss.

Santana’s hand shakes a little as she reaches for Brittany knee. It’s almost like she’s using it to keep herself steady as her nose bumps against Brittany’s top lip. Everything about the way Santana moves is slow and thoughtful and Brittany just can’t get enough.

Soon Santana’s tongue is running along the bottom of Brittany’s lip, teasing the quarterback before she’s delving in. Brittany inhales sharply at the feel of Santana’s tongue gliding against her own before her hands drop to Santana’s waist.

Brittany’s about a second away from pulling the brunette into her lap when the sliding door is suddenly pushed open and a couple partygoers spill out onto the deck. The sound of the rowdy newcomers has Santana jolting away in an instant – her eyes zoning in on the ruckus then flickering back to Brittany like she’s unsure of what to do now.

Brittany sees the moment Santana remembers where they are and what these people can do to her if they saw. It’s hard for the blonde to keep her expression soft as she watches Santana shrink away from her. She knows it’s nothing personal, but it still stings a little when Santana scoots further away. 

The others don’t even notice Santana and Brittany are there; they just move towards the firepit on the opposite side of the yard, too caught up in their own conversation to care. Santana continues to stay frozen in place though; Brittany’s waiting for her to retreat or wall herself up, but surprisingly Santana does the exact opposite – sort of.

Instead of Santana running off alone, she extends the invite.

“You want to get out of here?” Santana asks. She must realize how that sounds and quickly adds, “Not like that. I just mean…”

Brittany can’t help but smirk.

 _This_ is the Santana she’s used to; a little shy and easily embarrassed by her poor choice of words. Most of the time the innuendos would’ve gone over Brittany’s head, but because Santana stumbles on her words and brings attention to it Brittany’s started to pick up on it.

“Don’t,” Santana begins to blush, “That’s not what I was meaning,”

“Hey, I’m not saying anything,” Brittany chuckles.

Santana huffs and moves to stand. The confidence is back as she says, “Come with me somewhere.”

“You asking me or telling me?”

Santana squints at Brittany’s playful tone, “Just come on.”

Brittany softens as she straightens up, “You want to leave the party?”

“Just for a little bit,” Santana nods and looks to the sliding door, “If I go back in there I’ll just keep drinking and I don’t think I need to anymore.”

Brittany isn’t sure what that’s supposed to mean, but she agrees to go with Santana. There’s nowhere else she’d rather be anyway and if there’s even the slightest chance they’ll get to pick up where they left off then she’ll be there.

\\\

Before they go, they make a pitstop in the kitchen. Santana fills her empty water bottle with spiked punch while Brittany swipes a couple of jackets – she doesn’t know who they belong to but she doubts they’ll mind if they borrow them.

“Where we going?” Brittany wonders once they get outside again and head for the side gate.

Santana turns to her with her hand held out and smirks, “You’ll see.”

\\\

They don’t venture too far from Puck’s place, but when Brittany spots a couple of picnic tables under a big oak tree she starts to realize where she might be. The street lamps illuminate the path in a orange light and it makes her feel a little better about walking around in the middle of the night.

“I know this place,” Brittany says when she sees the familiar playground, “I take Pete here sometimes.”

Santana looks up at her and smiles but she continues to lead them past the playground and picnic tables to a clearing Brittany didn’t know about. There’s a pond with a single bench positioned in front of it. Beside the bench is another street lamp but this light illuminates the area in a white glow.

“I didn’t know there was a pond here,” Brittany says as they get closer to the bench.

“Yeah,” Santana answers as they take a seat, “It’s my secret spot. I love coming here whenever I need a break from everything.”

Brittany nods at the softness in her voice before she sinks into Santana’s side. They look out at the water and watch the rippling reflection of the moon and stars. It’s a comfortable quiet, peaceful even but it makes Brittany wonder why Santana brought her here.

“I can see why you love it here,” Brittany says as she turns to Santana, “Did you need a break from before?”

Santana smirks as she lifts the bottle of punch to her lips and goes for a long sip. That’s really all the explanation Brittany needs. Things were getting heated _fast_ back at Puck’s, they needed somewhere to cool down.

“It was a good idea,” Brittany nods as Santana passes her the bottle. She pauses as she brings it up to her lips and keeps her eyes on the water, “I’m not sure where that would’ve gone if we kept going.”

Santana chuckles, “I think I have an idea.”

Brittany just shakes her head as she swallows her sip. There’s just enough vodka in the punch to have her coasting on that familiar buzz, the kind of buzz that eases the need to overthink things but Brittany still can’t help but wonder. Was Santana’s idea the same as Brittany’s, because Brittany was thinking of something that involved a lot less clothes.

Actually, the clothes could’ve stayed on. Santana’s in a dress but it might be a little harder for Brittany with her tight shorts and suspenders getting in the way. She would’ve made it work though if that’s what Santana wanted. She would’ve had no problem getting caught between Santana’s –

“It feels different at night,” Santana mentions.

“Yeah. I’m more of an afternoon person myself,” Brittany nods in a daze before looking to Santana. She quickly realizes they aren’t on the same page and starts to giggle, “Oh. You mean this place. Yeah, totally! It’s beautiful.”

Santana smirks again as she takes back the punch, “What were you talking about?”

“Not the same thing you were,” Brittany chuckles as she sinks down a littler further so she can rest her head on Santana’s shoulder.

“Don’t fall asleep,” Santana warns awhile later. There’s a softness to her voice that Brittany wasn’t expecting, “I don’t think I can carry you back.” 

“I’m just resting my eyes,” Brittany jokes as she drapes her arm around Santana’s midsection, “And you’re really comfortable.”

“You’re such a lightweight,” Santana teases.

Brittany playfully rolls her eyes, “I’ve been drinking a lot longer than you tonight, thank you very much.”

“Excuses,” Santana quips.

“Give me that,” Brittany squints as she pushes off of Santana to sit up. She’s handed the bottle and goes to take a long swig. Santana starts to egg her on even more with a C _hug! Chug! Chug!_ Brittany doesn’t finish the entire thing but it’s enough to leave a warm feeling in her chest.

“Impressive,” Santana giggles before they’re settling into another bout of silence.

Brittany’s resting her head on Santana’s as they look out at the water. She’s thinking about how this day started like any other – morning run, work out, chores, trick or treating – and now look at her. She’s sitting on a bench with this beautiful girl and all she’s thinking about now is kissing her again.

She wonders if Santana would stop her again if she tried to?

“You’re not falling asleep, are you?” Santana whispers. Her voice sounds thick and raspy – it’s so sexy and does not help with clearing out the haze in Brittany’s head.

“I’m awake,” Brittany answers and maybe it’s the booze in her system that makes the honesty that much worse as she says, “I’m just thinking about making out with you again.”

When Santana turns to Brittany, she looks a little surprised by the comment but soon she starts to smirk.

Brittany nods with this dopey grin on her face like it’s true, “You have really nice lips. They’re very soft and I like them a lot.”

Santana giggles, “You sure that’s not the alcohol talking?”

“Totally,” Brittany goes to nod again then pauses, “I mean, it might be…but I still like them a lot. Even when I haven’t been drinking I think about them so we should make out again soon.”

“Smooth,” Santana teases, “You must’ve snagged a lot of girls and boys back home?”

Brittany rolls her eyes at the joke, “Speak for yourself. A gorgeous girl like you, Co-Captain of the Cheerios…I doubt you’ve had any trouble either.”

“And yet we were both dateless for Homecoming,” Santana smirks.

“I had you, didn’t I?” Brittany asks with a grin.

“You didn’t,” Santana flirts.

“Well…,” Brittany sighs, “You sure had _me_.” 

“You and these pick up lines,” Santana jokes although her cheeks flush.

“They working yet?”

Santana bobs her head from side to side in thought, but then Brittany’s turning towards her and leaning in. She has a hand high on Santana’s thigh while her arm settles along the back of the bench and curls around Santana’s shoulders.

It takes everything in her to pause though just before she reaches Santana’s lips.

“Why’d you stop?” Santana husks, but her eyes stay glued to Brittany’s mouth as if she’s trying to will the blonde to move. 

“Waiting for you to tell me,” Brittany rasps, “Did my _line_ work?”

Santana licks her lips again in anticipation, “Just kiss me.”

Brittany doesn’t need to be told twice before she’s closing the distance. She swallows Santana’s little moan and before she knows it, Santana’s climbing onto her lap. The brunette’s hands are tangling into Brittany’s hair as their chests press flush.

It’s the hottest thing ever and Brittany feels like she’s about to explode because Santana’s in a dress – a super short dress at that – and now she’s straddling Brittany’s lap. Brittany literally has the girl spread open and she knows she shouldn’t, but _fuck_ she really wants feel if Santana’s just as turned on as she is.

Brittany’s hands don’t move hesitantly anymore; they go to rest low on Santana’s back and soon they drift even lower until they’re palming Santana’s ass. It’s not where she wishes she could be, but it’s equally as great because have you seen Santana’s ass? It’s perfect.

It’s all too much and too little at the same time. Brittany knows they should probably slow down before their hormones get the best of them and they do something they might regret, but Santana just feels _so good_ on top of her. She’s never been more turned on just from kissing someone but then again she’s never kissed someone like Santana.

This girl really is out of her league – which is exactly why she should slow down. 

“We should – ” Brittany stammers when she feels Santana’s hips start to rock against her lap. She knows where this is going and even if she’s a little tiny bit wasted, she doesn’t want to rush through things just because they can’t help themselves. 

Santana isn’t someone she’d drunkenly hook up with. She’s special and she deserves more than a quickie on a park bench. If it ever happens – and Brittany _so_ wishes that it does – she’s going to want to take her time if she can help it.

But let’s be real, that will probably go out the window if it ever does happen.

“Santana,” Brittany tries again with a gentle squeeze to her side. Santana keeps sucking kisses against her neck and it makes it even harder for Brittany to stop this, “ _Shit…_ Santana wait, we should – ”

Santana sucks a little harder at her pulse point and it’s enough to have Brittany abandoning her previous stance. She can’t tell if Santana’s left a mark there but the possibility that she has excites Brittany.

 _Fuck it,_ Brittany thinks before she’s tilting away from Santana’s wanting mouth and moving her own to Santana’s exposed chest. This dress is doing wonders for Santana’s cleavage and Brittany would be lying if she said she wasn’t imagining going to town on her the minute she arrived to Puck’s.

“ _Fuck_!” Santana whines when Brittany nips at the top of Santana’s left breast.

Brittany soothes the nip with a wet kiss before doing it again to the other side. She can feel Santana’s blunt nails dig into the back of her neck and it makes her roll Santana’s hips against her lap again. It’s not nearly enough friction but it’s something – all Brittany wants is to make Santana feel good.

“You’re killing me, Pierce,” Santana groans breathlessly as she rocks harder in Brittany’s lap.

Brittany just smirks against Santana’s chest, “There you go again calling me _Pierce._ You sure you know my name?”

“Uh-huh,” Santana answers mindlessly as she throws her head back and pulls Brittany closer.

Brittany’s stronger though and is able to pull away. She finds Santana staring down at her with parted lips, looking at her with want and a little annoyance. There’s that same dazed look in her eyes from when they were sitting poolside though and it has Brittany leaning in for another kiss. This time Santana’s tongue tangles with Brittany’s and the blonde can’t help but moan at the taste of her.

Brittany pulls back slightly and says through her smirk, “I’m not sure you really know it.”

“I do,” Santana assures her as she dives back in for another heated kiss.

“Say it then,” Brittany mutters against Santana’s lips, “Say my name.”

Instead, Santana let’s out another moan and it’s probably the sexiest sound Brittany’s heard yet! Maybe it’s a good thing she hasn’t heard Santana say her name, she doubts she’d be able to handle it with how breathless she’s sounding.

“Santana,” Brittany sighs as Santana rocks harder into the blonde’s lap. Her heart is pounding so hard that it’s making her ears throb, but she continues squeezing Santana’s ass and helping her roll her hips.

Suddenly Santana’s cursing as she stiffens in Brittany’s lap and Brittany’s brows rise.

 _Did she just?_ Brittany wonders but then Santana’s sitting back on Brittany’s knees.

“What’s wrong?” Brittany straightens but then she feels the tell-tale sensations of a phone vibrating – she’s just not sure where it’s coming from. 

“Sorry,” Santana says before she pulls her cell out from her cleavage and quickly answers the calls, “What, Fabray?”

Brittany can just barely hear Quinn on the other end of the line, but she can’t make out any of the words. She only watches Santana’s expression as she listens.

“I’m fine. I promise,” Santana answers out of annoyance. When she looks down at Brittany though, she softens, “Yes. I’m with her right now. Yes, _right now._ It’s none of your business. Yeah, okay. _Okay_! We’ll be back soon.”

Brittany watches Santana start to blush before she ends the call and tucks her phone back into her bra.

“She worried?” Brittany wonders.

“Just checking on me.”

Brittany nods, “Should we go back now?”

Santana shakes her head and looks off to the side, “Not yet.”

“Okay,” Brittany answers. She’s not sure what to do from here. Can she continue their moment or has it passed now? She bites her lip as she thinks.

“You know what I kind of want to do right now?” Santana says instead.

In their current position, Brittany quirks an eyebrow at the possible answers. Santana seems to notice when she looks back and starts to giggle.

“Get your mind out of the gutter, Pierce.”

“It’s hard not to be there when you’re literally straddling me,” Brittany chuckles with a pat to Santana’s ass.

Santana continues to laugh as she climbs off of Brittany’s lap, “I was going to say that I feel like swinging.”

“Oh!” Brittany perks up despite the loss of Santana on her. She follows Santana’s gaze to the swing set near the playground, “The swings were always my favorite when I was a kid.”

“Mine too.”

Brittany looks back to Santana, “I’ll race you to them.”

Santana smirks and takes off towards them without a word.

Brittany shoots up and chases after her, “That’s cheating! You got a head start!”

When Santana gets to the swings first, she can’t stop laughing at the way Brittany shakes her head at her.

“What? Not used to losing?” Santana teases and downs the rest of the punch before she hops onto the swing.

Brittany takes the one next to her, “Not cool.”

Santana just chuckles as they start to swing at a slow pace.

“Do you get that funny feeling in your stomach when you go too high?” Brittany asks a moment later.

“Yeah,” Santana answers as she pushes to get higher, “It use to scare me, but I kind of like it now.”

“Same,” Brittany smiles before she looks over to Santana, “We probably shouldn’t be doing this while we’re drunk though.”

“I’m not drunk,” Santana replies with a giggle, “ _You’re_ drunk.”

“I know,” Brittany snickers.

Santana’s laughter quiets down a second later and then she’s asking, “Can I tell you something?”

There’s a change in her tone that has Brittany looking over at her, “Okay.”

“You can’t laugh though.”

Brittany looks unsure of where this is going now, “Why not? Is it embarrassing or something?”

“You just can’t, okay?” Santana urges.

“Alright,” Brittany giggles, “I won’t!”

“You’re already laughing…”

“Because you’re making me nervous,” Brittany admits before softening, “Okay, I’m not going to laugh.”

“Promise?”

“I _pinky_ promise,” Brittany assures her as she extends her pinky out. It’s a little hard to connect with Santana while they’re still swinging, so they slow to a stop so they can properly pinky swear.

When their pinkies link, Brittany feels the earth move. She wonders if Santana felt it too or if it’s just the dizziness setting in. She’s surprised she hasn’t felt the spins sooner, but she guesses that’s because she’s been so… _distracted_.

“I won’t laugh,” Brittany says before letting go.

“Okay so,” Santana starts nervously, “That was…my first kiss.”

“No it wasn’t,” Brittany replies disbelievingly.

“By the pool,” Santana clarifies with a nod, “It was the first…with a girl, I mean.”

Brittany quirks a brow as she recounts the past hour. They’ve been pretty _busy_ so far and nothing about any of that screamed _first_ anything because Santana had been so confident. Even if she was a little slow to move at times, Brittany still thought she knew what she was doing anyway. 

“Really?” Brittany asks through a chuckle, Santana could’ve fooled her with the way she was taking control.

“You said you wouldn’t laugh,” Santana starts to pout.

God, she looks so damn cute; Brittany just wants to kiss her again.

“Sorry!” Brittany says instead, “I’m not laughing at that, I just thought…didn’t you and Dani? Was she not your first?”

“No,” Santana shakes her head, “That was just a peck on the cheek. We never really got another chance after everything happened.”

“Wow,” Brittany starts to smile, “So I’m your first girl kiss, huh? Santana, I’m honored.”

“Don’t make me regret telling you,” Santana playfully rolls her eyes at Brittany’s teasing tone, “You weren’t my _first_ first. You’re just the first that counted. I’ve kind of kissed a girl before.”

“Wait,” Brittany’s brows furrow, “Kind of? How do you _kind of_ kiss someone?”

“Okay, maybe not _kind of_ ,” Santana starts to explain with a chuckle, “Maybe accidental is a better way of putting it? Actually, it wasn’t really accidental either.”

“I need to hear this story,” Brittany says, “I wish we had more of that punch.”

“We should go back then and get – “

“No, no!” Brittany laughs, “You can’t deflect your way out of this one. There’s a juicy story here, I can feel it.”

“It’s really not all that _juicy_.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Brittany smirks.

“Fine,” Santana drawls out, “It happened like any other first kiss happens: playing spin the bottle. It was Finn Hudson’s birthday and we were all in the backyard when Puck suggested we play spin the bottle. There were more girls than boys so he liked his odds I guess? It seemed to work in his favor though because we landed on each other like three times. We were all wasted off of wine coolers Puck snuck in so there was a lot of making out going on in between spins. I didn’t really think anything of it though because kissing boys always seemed like a chore to me anyway.”

Brittany frowns at Santana’s dismissive tone, “It’s not supposed to feel like a chore.”

“Yeah,” Santana agrees, “I always thought maybe it was because I was kissing the wrong boy? Ended up making out with almost every guy there…which I’m not proud of.”

Brittany shrugs, “It took me a couple tries until I found a guy that didn’t slobber all over me. Most boys don’t know what they’re doing.”

Santana nods, “Well, I didn’t know that until Quinn spun and landed on me.”

Brittany’s jaw dropped, “ _Quinn_ was your first girl kiss?”

Santana lets out a nervous chuckle, “Now _I_ wish we had more of that punch.”

“Oh my God,” Brittany quirks a brow, “Did you guys like…hook up?”

“Gross! No way,” Santana scrunched her nose, “She was kind of like…I don’t know. It’s hard to explain. I approached it like how would if she were a guy and maybe she did too. Before that happened, I didn’t even consider being into another girl. I didn’t think it was an option, so when she landed on me I didn’t really care. We were just doing it to impress the guys anyway but then she kissed me and it was like…”

“A gay awakening?” Brittany supplies.

“Yeah.”

Brittany nods knowingly, “Yeah, I’ve had a few of those.”

“Crazy,” Santana mumbles, clearly wrapped up in the memory.

Brittany watches curiously. It’s not a pang of jealousy that hits her, but something stirs in her chest. Quinn’s witty and smart and equally as popular as Santana. They’ve known each other for years which is a lot more than Brittany can say and she’s witnessed girls on the cheer squad at her old school become an item. She has seen best friends become an item too so it’s not that far-fetched.

Brittany just has to know, “So did you like…like her or something after?”

“God no,” Santana shakes her head, “At first I thought I did because of the feelings I got from it and like…Quinn’s attractive and all but it wasn’t like that. I was quick to realize it wasn’t because it was _Quinn_ , it was because she’s a _girl_ …if that makes sense.”

“It does,” Brittany feels oddly relieved, “Was this before Dani then?”

Santana nods, “Yeah. Quinn and I don’t really talk about it. Not that it’s weird or anything because she’s my best friend and we tell each other most things, but you know…I don’t want to blow up her ego thinking she was the one that turned me or something.”

Brittany chuckles at the sound of Santana joking with her, “Well you _do_ seem to have a thing for blondes.”

Santana gasps and Brittany laughs even harder.

“What was your first kiss like?” The Co-Captain asks a moment later.

“With a girl?”

“Yeah.”

Brittany shrugs, “Similar to yours. It happened on a dare at this sleepover. I ended up liking the girl afterwards though, that didn’t go too well.”

“What happened?”

Brittany tries to recount the memory but it’s a little foggy. She doubts it’s because of the alcohol though, this might just be purely because she’s pushed it too far back to the depths of her mind hoping it would never resurface again.

“Long story short, she was straight and got weirded out,” Brittany finally explains, “It was a rough couple of months. Not many girls wanted to invite me over for sleepovers after that.”

“That’s so messed up,” Santana huffs.

“It was for a little bit but guys are sometimes easier to talk to, you know, after they take the hint that you only want to be friends,” Brittany replies, “See? School drama is everywhere.”

Santana ponders her words before asking, “Is that why you moved here?”

“No. That happened years ago,” Brittany answers and suddenly things feel all too real because she remembers the reason. She tries to keep her voice even as she answers, “We moved here because…my dad. He died earlier this year.”

“Oh,” Santana looks surprised and quickly adds, “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Brittany smiles politely in response. She doesn’t want to hear the pity in Santana’s voice, she’s heard it enough from everyone else, “He was sick for a long time so…yeah. We kind of knew it was coming, especially when the treatments weren’t helping anymore.”

Santana nods quietly as Brittany gets more wrapped up in her thoughts.

“It’s weird; when he was first diagnosed it all happened so quickly. One day he was out playing catch with me and Pete and then he wasn’t,” Brittany frowns.

“Cancer?”

“Yeah,” Brittany answers suddenly feeling reminiscent, “I miss him so much like all the time. It was really hard on my family when it happened. Pete didn’t talk for awhile and mom walked around like a zombie.”

Santana frowns, “And you?”

Brittany bites her lip, “I tried to keep busy – went to school then work and did my best to take care of everyone else. Everyone was always asking me if I was okay, but how do you answer that? I just lost my dad; who would be okay? I guess I was throwing everyone off because I seemed fine. Honestly, I just felt numb. I saw my family struggling so I stepped up and everything was okay. It was a different story at night though.”

Santana nods, “Why?”

If Brittany hadn’t been drinking all night, she wouldn’t have answered. She probably would’ve made up something in order to deflect, but there’s something about this night and Santana that has her opening up – something she’s not used to doing when it comes to her dad.

“I had these nightmares,” Brittany tells her sadly. She swallows back the lump in her throat, “For weeks, every night I had nightmares. It was always the same thing so I stopped sleeping during the night thinking that would help. Of course it didn’t. I started falling asleep in class and at work. People got worried and I had to start seeing a counselor. Eventually the dreams stopped, but I’m not sure why. I doubt it had anything to do with my counselor visits.”

Santana smiles apologetically, “I lost my Abuelo a few years ago and it was hard for a long time. I had dreams too, but they just made me miss him. It gets easier eventually.”

“That’s what they tell me,” Brittany nods.

Santana doesn’t say anything else, just quietly watches Brittany as they sway in their swings.

“You know, my dad was always the loudest at my games,” Brittany admits with a sad chuckle, “I miss hearing him cheer for me. It’s crazy how I can feel the difference now that he’s not there.”

“Maybe I’ll steal Coach’s megaphone one day?” Santana offers, “It won’t be the same but…”

That makes Brittany smile, “I’d love to see that.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Santana winks.

Brittany chuckles, “Now that we live closer to my grandparents they try to come to most of my games too. With them and my mom and Petey, it’s like my own little cheering squad. It’s cool, but sometimes I have a really great drive or pull off an impossible throw and I look to the stands to see his reaction...then I remember he’s not there anymore and it sucks.”

“Of course,” Santana nods.

“This is probably the most I’ve talked about him in awhile,” Brittany admits guiltily, “Sorry to bring the mood down.”

“You didn’t,” Santana assures her.

Brittany just shrugs and starts to swing again. When she was little, she thought if she went high enough she might be able to touch the clouds with her toes. She use to get her dad to push her so she could get an extra boost, but no matter how high she got, she never touched them. That didn’t stop her from continuing to try though.

Santana follows suit and soon they’re getting higher and higher.

“You ever jump off?” Santana asks a minute later.

“Duh,” Brittany grins proudly, “I was Queen of the Swing Jump back in my playground days.”

“Huh,” Santana quirks a brow, “So was I.”

“Bet I can jump off farther than you,” Brittany challenges with a playful smirk.

“You’re on!” Santana says as she kicks off her heels in preparation for the jump.

Brittany does the same before they start to count down.

“One.”

Brittany pumps her legs hard to get more air. When she looks to her side, she sees Santana doing the same.

“Two.”

She’s laughing now because Santana is too and the sound is infectious. She’s used to seeing Santana wound up so tight she might snap, but when she’s able to get a glimpse of her being carefree Santana never disappoints.

“Three,” They say in unison, “Jump!”

They both get a ton of air but come crashing down into each other. Brittany smacks against something hard – maybe Santana’s elbow or knee or even her head, she isn’t sure but it hurts like hell.

“Shit!” Santana curses as she rubs her head.

“Ow!” Brittany chuckles through a pained groan, “Why is your head so hard?”

“I’m sorry!” Santana laughs while she lies flat on her back, “Are you okay?”

“You can’t ask that and laugh at the same time.”

“I’m sorry, it was funny!” Santana giggles as she rolls over to Brittany. The smile instantly drops, “Oh my God, you’re bleeding.”

“What?”

“Fuck,” Santana stammers as she cups Brittany’s chin to get a better look. There’s worry in her eyes and it makes Brittany nervous.

Brittany blinks and she feels way more dazed than before, “Is it bad?”

Santana looks around for something before eyeing Brittany’s nose, “We need to get back.”

“Wait, am I really bleeding?” Brittany mumbles but Santana’s just grabbing their heels and pulling Brittany towards Puck’s.

\\\\\\\\\

Santana is scanning the crowd of dancers for her best friend as soon as she and Brittany get back to Puck’s. She’s a little frazzled and kind of tipsy, but the blood has sobered her up some. She’s still tugging Brittany behind her by the hand as she searches the crowd for Quinn.

“What the – “ Quinn pauses when she sees Brittany, “Jesus Santana, what did you do to her?”

“It was an accident, okay!” Santana defends before casting a worried look to Brittany.

“It’s cool,” Brittany shrugs, “I’ve had my nose broken before. This really doesn’t feel like that.”

“Probably because you’re both drunk as hell,” Quinn points out, “I doubt you feel anything.”

“That is also true,” Brittany looks down at her once white shirt, “Crap. That’s going to be hard to get out.”

Suddenly Sam appears along with Mike, “Fake blood, awesome! It’s just like that one scene in where – ”

“It’s not fake,” Santana corrects as she swipes some cocktail napkins to hand to Brittany, “Tilt your head back and put this to your nose.”

“Wait what?” Sam starts to turn a little green, “I gotta go; I can’t do the real stuff.”

“Dude,” Mike chastises before taking one look a Brittany then Santana, “Woah. What’d you do to her, Santana?”

“I didn’t do anything,” Santana huffs.

“It was an accident,” Brittany amends while she holds a wad of napkins to her nose, “Clash of the Swing Jump Queens. It was a tie.”

Everyone but Santana looks at her like she’s just spouting drunken nonsense.

“We should go back to mine and get you cleaned up,” Quinn says to Brittany, “Who knows what we’ll find if we root around for stuff here.”

Santana looks to Brittany hesitantly, “Is that okay with you?”

“Totally,” Brittany replies as she goes for her phone, “I’ll just text my mom. She knows I’m here.”

Quinn and Santana both blink dumbfoundedly at her.

“What?” Brittany frowns.

“She…knows you’re here?” Santana clarifies, “Like at a party?”

“Well yeah,” Brittany shrugs as she sends out the text, “Doesn’t yours?”

“Hell no!” Santana laughs, “She’d probably ground me again.”

“Same,” Quinn nods, “But mine was on her third bottle of wine by the time Santana and I left, she should be passed out by now so we better get going.” 

“We’ll walk you guys,” Mike offers as he wraps an arm around Quinn’s shoulders. Sam nods and flanks the other side as they turn to leave.

“Oh wait,” Brittany pauses and shrugs off the borrowed jacket. She looks around for somewhere to put it before just tossing it over the staircase railing.

Santana smirks as she does the same.

\\\

Once they get to Quinn’s house, Santana’s sobered up enough to tend to Brittany’s injury. The blonde sits on the closed toilet seat lid while Santana uses a damp washcloth to clean up the dried blood. Quinn lingers in the doorway and watches while the boys wait on the porch.

“You sure you got this?” Quinn asks Santana as she hands her the first aid kit her mom keeps under the bathroom sink.

“Of course,” Santana answers casually, “You know it runs in the fam.”

“Dr. Lopez is on the job,” Quinn jokes before looking to Brittany, “You’re in good hands.”

“I know,” Brittany smirks.

Santana swats at Brittany’s shoulder but it only makes Brittany start to giggle.

Quinn just shakes her head, “I’m going to get you two some water and maybe raid the kitchen for snacks. You both need something to soak up the alcohol, no way I’m cleaning up your puke.”

“Awesome,” Brittany replies before cringing at Santana’s touch.

“Sorry,” Santana whispers, “It’s going to be tender but it doesn’t look broken.”

“I figured,” Brittany answers with a smirk, “You can quit fussing over me now.”

Santana bites her lip, “I just want to make sure the bleeding has stopped. I’m not _fussing_ over you.”

“Yes, you are,” Brittany coos, “You’re dressed up as a sexy hot nurse and now you’re fussing over me.”

“This a wet dream of yours coming true?” Santana jokes.

“You have no idea,” Brittany winks playfully, “But seriously, I’m okay. Just put a tampon in there and I’ll be good to go.”

“Have you actually done that?” Santana quirks a brow.

“No,” Brittany giggles, “But I’ve always wanted to try.”

Santana shakes her head, “Let me just clean off the dried blood first before you go shoving things up there, okay?”

“You got it,” Brittany smiles and sits patiently as Santana continues cleaning her up.

Santana tries to move slow and delicately, not wanting to hurt Brittany any further than she already has tonight but the way she’s standing gives her flashbacks of their time by the pond. Brittany’s thigh is between Santana’s legs and it wouldn’t take much coaxing for her to straddle it.

She continues to focus on dabbing around Brittany’s injury until she feels the blonde’s fingers dance along the back of her knee. Santana’s heart rate spikes and she tries her hardest to keep her chest from heaving at the sensation. Brittany’s fingers draw soft circles against her skin and Santana swears her legs are about to give out.

It’s the biggest mistake ever when Santana chances a glance at her.

“How’s it looking, Doc?” Brittany asks when their eyes meet.

“G-good,” Santana stammers before she averts her eyes back to her work, “I mean, not _good_ but much better than before.”

“Cool,” Brittany says as she continues drawing patterns at the back of Santana’s knee.

Santana’s will power is slowly fading. She’s suddenly super aware of how long it’s been since she has been with anyone and the last time wasn’t even all that great. Puck barely lasted two minutes and he didn’t even have the energy to return the favor.

All she’s had to work with is her hand for the past year and she’s starting to lose interest in that too – especially when Brittany’s right here, but does she want to go _there_ with her? Does she want to complicate their _whatever this is_ with sex?

At the moment, everything in her is saying _hell yes_ but she knows she’s not thinking straight at the moment.

When she looks down at Brittany again, she finds her blue eyes dazzling as she stares back. There’s a slight glaze to them but Santana can tell Brittany’s a lot more sober than she was by the swings. She guesses this is the start of the come down now and soon she’s going to have to address everything she’s done tonight. She’s not sure how she feels about that yet, hopefully she can drag this feeling out for as long as she can.

Britany’s nose is already starting to bruise and all Santana wants to do is kiss it better. She doesn’t know what’s in store for them tomorrow, but she could take advantage of this moment and how easy things could be with Brittany.

“Found a bag of frozen peas,” Quinn says before Santana can make a move.

“She’s great,” Brittany comments as she drops her hand from Santana.

“Forgot the water bottles,” Quinn passes the makeshift ice pack to the brunette before leaving again.

“Isn’t she?” Santana answers as she presses the washcloth gingerly to Brittany’s nose. She bites her lip as she watches the blonde flinch in pain, “I’m really sorry about this.”

“It’s alright,” Brittany says through a smile. The movement of her nose has her wincing but she pushes through, “I’ve experienced a lot worse on the football field. At least it isn’t broken this time so that’s a plus.”

“Does it hurt?” Santana finds herself asking. It’s a silly question because she has seen Brittany’s pained expression more than once.

“Do I get a kiss if I say yes?” Brittany flirts.

Santana doesn’t even answer, just leans down to softly press a kiss to Brittany’s lips as best as she can without bothering her nose.

\\\

Once the bleeding finally stops, the washcloth is switched out for the bag of frozen peas Quinn found. It’s nearly 3am now and Santana’s barely keeping her eyes open as they gather in Quinn’s living room. Santana sits closest to Brittany and keeps a watchful eye on her.

Brittany doesn’t seem to be too bothered by the injury as she asks Quinn about her night. Although, she does catch Santana’s eye every so often and sends her a coy smile.

It makes Santana blush and remind her of how much of tonight she has spent kissing Brittany. Just thinking that makes her want to laugh. Who knew tequila could give her such a confidence boost? It was about damn time! She finally felt like herself again, hopefully it’s here to stay.

“Well,” Brittany groans as she pushes to sit up straight, “I should probably head home now.”

“You don’t want to stay?” Santana finds herself asking. She’s hoping she doesn’t come across as needy. Really, she’s just concerned about Brittany’s injury and also feels a little guilty about causing it – and that’s the story she’s sticking to!

“You can if you want,” Quinn assures Brittany with a shrug, “It’s super late.”

Brittany looks from Quinn to Santana and smiles apologetically, “I want to, but I probably shouldn’t. I’m supposed to watch Pete while my mom’s at work tomorrow. It’s an early shift I think.”

Santana feels herself pout and instantly feels silly about it. She has spent so much of her night with Brittany, it would’ve been way too good to be true if she got to wake up to her too.

“I’m pretty sure the boys are still outside,” Quinn shrugs, “They can walk home with you?”

“Awesome, because I don’t know where the heck I am,” Brittany giggles, “It’s crazy how we all live in the same neighborhood.”

“Right? I’ll just text Mike,” Quinn looks around for her phone, “I think I left my phone in the kitchen. Be right back.”

When Quinn leaves the room, Santana turns to Brittany and asks, “You sure you don’t want to stay?”

“I’m sure,” Brittany nods before a shy smile appears, “I want to though. Like…I really, _really_ want to so I probably shouldn’t.”

Santana feels herself pout again, “Okay.”

“Don’t look so sad about it,” Brittany teases.

“I’m not sad.”

“That’s not what this look says,” Brittany quips as she pokes at Santana’s bottom lip.

Santana bats at Brittany’s hand, “Whatever. Go home, I don’t care.”

That has Brittany giggling, “How about you come over tomorrow? Hang out with me and Pete? You can keep me company when he takes a nap.”

Santana quirks a brow, “Tempting.”

“We can continue what we’ve started,” Brittany suggests, “You know…if you want.”

Santana matches the smirk Brittany wears, “I want.”

“Okay,” Brittany replies, “Come over tomorrow then?”

“Alright, fine.”

“Awesome,” Brittany beams as she stands, “Thanks for _not_ fussing over me.”

Santana fights to keep from blushing, “I had a lot of fun with you tonight.”

“Me too,” Brittany gestures to her nose, “Even if you tried to break me with your head.”

Santana blushes, “I’m sorry.”

“You can make it up to me tomorrow,” Brittany winks as she leans in for a kiss.

Santana’s a little taken aback by how natural it is for them to do this now. Her hands find Brittany’s waist and she steadies herself as she tilts her head back to allow Brittany better access. She can really see how fast they can get carried away, but Santana doesn’t know where or when Quinn will pop up so she opts to keep it short and sweet.

“Best Halloween party ever,” Brittany mutters as Santana pulls away.

“Don’t tell Puck that,” Santana jokes, “His ego is big enough as it is.”

“You’re right,” Brittany chuckles, “Well, goodnight Santana.”

“Night, Pierce.”

Quinn conveniently appears again as they’re wrapping up, “See you later, Britt.”

“Bye Quinn! Thanks for the frozen peas,” Brittany waves as she makes her exit.

Santana just stares longingly after her until the door shuts behind her and Quinn starts to laugh.

“What are you cackling about?” Santana grumbles as she crosses her arms.

Quinn just shakes her head, “You need to tell me _everything_!”

“I don’t need to tell you _shit_ ,” Santana says but she can’t keep the smile from forming on its own.

“That’s the face,” Quinn points out, “That’s the face of someone who has been up to no good.”

“I _was_ good!” Santana defends herself with her chin up before she starts to smirk, “But Brittany was better.”

“I fucking knew it!” Quinn beams, “Mike told me not to call you but I had a feeling...”

“You should listen to your boyfriend next time,” Santana replies, “Your call interrupted a very heated moment happening.”

“Hey, you’re the dumbass that answered.”

“The vibrating was hard to ignore.”

“I bet,” Quinn smirks.

Santana just shakes her head as Quinn pulls her down to the couch to talk.

She can’t remember the last time she was _this_ excited to gossip about how her night went – probably because she never actually _liked_ any of the guys she wasted her time on. It’s no surprise that she feels different this time around, but that also doesn’t make it any easier on her when it comes to sorting out her feelings.

She didn’t even feel this way about Dani! Then again, Dani was more of an innocent crush.

Santana didn’t find herself daydreaming about her all the time or doing the absolute most – for example, sneak out to a party right after being grounded – just to see her again. She’s never felt like this about anyone, especially not any of the guys she’s ever been with. There wasn’t this undeniable pull when it came to Dani either, not like there is with Brittany and she has no idea what that means.

Once again, Santana’s in uncharted territory. 


	9. Chapter 9

When Monday morning rolls around, Brittany has no trouble waking up to start her day. In fact, she barely grumbles as she does a stretch before getting ready for her usual morning run. Most of the time, Mondays are the hardest for her since it means getting back into her busy routine for the week but today feels different.

Actually, the whole _weekend_ has felt different.

Brittany feels weirdly well-rested although she didn’t really get much sleep last night because she spent most of it texting Santana. They weren’t even talking about anything important, but Brittany couldn’t get enough of her even after the day they spent together.

Like they agreed upon, Santana tagged along with her and Pete to the park where they both watched Pete swing. Neither of them could help glancing over by the pond though and Brittany definitely couldn’t help but to remember all that happened there. She bets Santana was thinking the same judging by the coy smirk Brittany caught her wearing when their eyes finally met. The look made Brittany blush, but they were soon interrupted by Pete begging one of them to push him on the swings.

It was a great afternoon at the park followed by lunch back at the Pierce residence where Brittany made everyone sandwiches. Pete talked animatedly about this show he watched at their grandparents’ house in between bites of his ham and cheese. Santana followed along just as enthusiastically which made Brittany’s heart just about burst. She found herself wondering if anyone else knew of Santana’s softer side or if this was just for them.

Either way, it was nice and easy and even if Brittany was dealing with a hangover from hell it was okay, because once Pete fell into a food coma Santana kissed away all her worries.

And it was different, kissing Santana completely sober. There was nothing in her system that could blur the way she felt in that moment, nothing else to pin those dizzy feelings on.

Everything she felt was purely because of Santana.

It was something Brittany wondered about before Santana came over that day. What would happen once the alcohol wore off? Would Santana regret everything? Would Brittany? Would things become awkward and uncomfortable to the point where they’d have to stop being friends?

Santana put a rest to most of Brittany’s burning questions just by showing up after everything that happened that night, then she assured Brittany by pushing her up against the kitchen counter and kissing her hard after Pete fell asleep on the couch.

Of course, that’s just how Brittany’s interpreting it all so that _she_ can make sense of how quickly their friendship has changed. If Santana regretted anything they did, it definitely didn’t show so it must mean that they’re okay.

But again, Brittany’s just guessing because they haven’t actually had a conversation. Right now, it’s like she’s in limbo and she’s not sure how she feels about that yet.

\\\

When Brittany arrives at McKinley High an hour or so later, Santana’s just pulling into the Senior parking lot. The quarterback lingers by her car as she watches Santana get out of hers. It’s crazy how much she’s drawn to her but it has always been like that. The only difference now is that she knows what Santana’s lips feel like on her skin and how much she loves kissing her.

There’s also Santana’s habit of looking super hot while doing the most ordinary things – for example, putting on her bookbag. She’s just gorgeous, simple as that, and Brittany can’t help but to be easily distracted by her.

“Mornin’,” Santana says casually as she walks past Brittany before taking sip of her coffee.

Leave it to Santana to make a pit stop at the Lima Bean before class, but she’s as pretty as ever in her Cheerios uniform. Even her voice has a little bit of a rasp to it and it just reminds Brittany of how long they stayed up the night before talking to each other. 

Brittany kind of wants to kiss her again.

Santana’s steps slow when Brittany only stares blankly, “Earth to Pierce?”

“Sorry! Good morning,” Brittany finally answers as she blinks back into reality.

“You still waking up or something?” Santana jokes as she takes another sip.

“I guess,” Brittany answers shyly, “I was up late.”

Santana just smirks before continuing to walk towards the building. Brittany quickly closes her car door and rushes to catch up to her.

When Brittany joins her again, Santana gives the blonde a once over and quirks a brow, “You not bringing your bookbag today?”

“Huh?” Brittany looks around and blushes again before going back to her car for her bag. She started off the morning doing so well, but maybe she’s going to pay for the lack of sleep after all?

\\\

By lunch, Brittany’s a lot more coherent. She sits at her usual table with Kurt, Mercedes and Tina and she can hear them going on about some Glee Club drama which would usually interest her since she’s not involved in any way but she finds herself getting lost in her thoughts.

There’s a ton going through her head: an upcoming history test, Santana, finishing her English paper, Santana, getting ready for the last two games of the regular season, Santana.

With it being so late in the football season, she really should be focused on the playoffs but this past weekend has really thrown her for a loop. She has dated before – twice and none of them lasted more than a few months – but none of her past partners ever consumed her attention like this.

“How was your weekend, Britt?” Kurt asks with a nudge to Brittany’s shoulder, “Did you end up going to Puck’s party?”

“Yeah, you’ve got to tell us how that happened,” Tina says with a gesture to Brittany’s nose.

“I can cover that up by the way,” Kurt adds.

Brittany smiles, “It’s cool, I accidentally got…headbutted. It’s not the worst that’s happened.”

“It looks like it hurts like hell,” Mercedes says with a chuckle.

Brittany only shrugs, “I don’t even notice it. But yeah, I did go to the party. It was a lot of fun. Missed seeing you there though, Kurt.”

Kurt shakes his head, “Yeah, I think I would’ve rather gone to Puck’s than Rachel Berry’s _Halloween House Party Train Wreck Extravaganza_.”

“That’s a mouthful,” Brittany comments as she picks at her lunch, “Not a good time?”

“Endless drama,” Mercedes answers, “Even I was a little annoyed by it.”

“That sucks,” Brittany frowns just as Santana and Quinn enter the cafeteria.

It’s like her whole world stops.

Brittany glances their way as they walk by just in time to see Santana eye her up and down. The blonde just barely catches the wink she sends before she and Quinn continue on towards their table.

Surprisingly, the rest of the table was totally oblivious to their exchange. Seems like Quinn was too. Brittany has to bite her cheek to keep from smiling too widely, she doesn’t need Kurt and Mercedes prying again.

Instead, she goes back to listening to the breakdown of whatever drama took place at Rachel’s. She nods and responds whenever necessary, but she isn’t too invested in the story. She’s too busy glancing Santana’s way every so often just to check if she was looking too.

Santana always was.

\\\

By the final class of the day, Brittany swears she can feel the tension between them. She can’t quite put her finger on the kind of tension it is, but it makes her feel hyper aware whenever Santana is around. Anytime the Co-Captain glances her way or their hands accidentally touch, it’s like a thousand alarms go off in Brittany’s head.

What they’re alerting her of, she has no idea.

They look at each other like they have this shared secret and they’re both just dying to blurt it out. Brittany guesses that’s sort of true. She of course hasn’t told anyone about what happened when she and Santana left Puck’s party, but that’s because she isn’t really close to anyone. Kurt and Mercedes’ reaction to her friendship with Santana really put her off of telling them anything so she keeps most things to herself now.

But Santana?

Brittany wonders if she told Quinn anything or if she’s keeping this under wraps too. With the way news travels at this school, she doubts Santana would be the first to say anything to anyone. She can understand Santana wanting privacy after everything she has been through though.

So Brittany continues to listen to Ms. Holliday’s lesson and tries her hardest to focus on notetaking and _not_ Santana, no matter how close her pinky is to Brittany’s. If she wanted to, she could link them together and it would kind of be like holding hands.

“You going to practice early today?” Santana asks in a hushed voice. She doesn’t even look up as she continues to write.

Brittany wasn’t planning on it but the question makes her curious so she lies, “Yeah, why?”

Santana just lifts her shoulder casually, “Just wondering.”

Brittany can see a hint of smirk and that makes her even more curious.

\\\

It’s just after the final bell of the day and Santana and Brittany have gone their separate ways.

Brittany’s heading to her locker while Santana goes off in the opposite direction. It confuses her because they usually walk together to their lockers and Santana didn’t say she had to be somewhere else after class, but Brittany doesn’t think too much about. She just heads down the hall to her locker to put the last of her books away before making her way towards the gym

Santana’s secrecy all makes sense when Brittany finds her waiting in the empty locker room. She barely gets a word out before Santana’s pushing her gently against the wall of lockers and kissing her silly.

It takes Brittany completely by surprise but it also feels like a sigh of relief. She didn’t realize she had been waiting for this to happen all day and now that it has, it’s like she’s back on Cloud 9.

“God, I’ve been waiting so long to do that again,” Santana mumbles against Brittany’s lips just as she starts to pull back.

Brittany’s still a little dazed and it doesn’t help when Santana licks her lips, but she drops her bookbag on the bench behind Santana and pulls her back in. She hears the surprised whimper Santana lets out and it only makes her smirk as she deepens the kiss.

How she managed to go _this long_ without knowing what it’s like to kiss Santana is beyond her. It’s probably one of the best feelings in the world and Brittany’s so happy that she’s able to do this now.

“What’s the time?” Santana breathes out as her hands tug at the sides of Brittany’s sweater.

Brittany shrugs, “Don’t know. Don’t care.”

Santana chuckles as Brittany grabs her ass, “The squad will be in here soon.”

“Not if we lock the door.”

“Quinn has a key,” Santana says and Brittany can just barely hear the urgency start to come through in her tone, even if her hands are diving beneath Brittany’s top.

“Then we should probably stop,” Brittany mumbles but doesn’t make a move to do so. Santana’s hands feel too good on her skin and really…she _does_ need help getting undressed. After all, she’s here to get ready for football practice.

“We probably should.”

They’re quick to realize that neither of them are moving away.

If anything, they’re pulling each other closer. Santana’s nearly got Brittany’s top off and Brittany’s fingers are hooked into the waistband of Santana’s Cheerio skirt. Where this is all going is a mystery to Brittany, but it’s a dangerous game they’re playing. Someone could walk in at any moment and catch them in this compromising position.

When she feels Santana’s fingers play at the clasp of Brittany’s bra, Brittany feels her senses heighten. It makes her think, what _are_ they doing? It’s like their lust for each other has gone on a joyride and they’re just acting completely on that rather than using their heads.

What’s worse though is that Brittany isn’t all that against it. They’re living in the moment and who is she to stop that, right?

Suddenly the locker room door starts to creak open and voices can be heard on the other side.

Brittany doesn’t miss the way Santana stiffens before she’s putting as much distance as she can between them. There’s a blush covering her face and she looks a little wide-eyed as she glances from the group of girls entering the room before looking back at Brittany.

The group doesn’t notice them as they head to the Cheerios’ side of the room and Brittany watches as Santana slumps against the opposite wall of lockers in relief. In this area, they’re hidden from their sight so Brittany climbs over the bench separating them.

“That was a close one,” She says jokingly.

The worry in Santana’s brow fades, “Just as it was getting good too.”

Brittany laughs at that, glad to see Santana’s sense of humor is still intact. She was a little worried for a moment there.

“Go get ready,” Brittany tells her. If Santana lingers this close any longer, she might just make her miss practice.

Santana nods though and Brittany takes a seat on the bench to get to work untying her shoelaces. Just before Santana goes though, she bends down to press a quick kiss to Brittany’s cheek. Again, it’s unexpected and sweet.

“Have a good practice,” She says.

Brittany can only smile as she watches Santana turn, her hips swaying hypnotically.

Yeah, Brittany can totally get used to this.

\\\

Brittany and Santana keep up their secret meetings for two whole weeks.

It doesn’t only take place in the locker room before practice and after games won though. Sometimes it happens in the backseat of Santana’s car in the parking lot at Elliott’s, sometimes it’s in the backseat of Brittany’s. Sometimes it happens on the park bench by the pond around dusk when all the kids have gone home for the night. Sometimes it happens on Brittany’s couch when her mom is at work and Pete’s with her grandparents.

They have been making out behind – and up against – all of these closed doors and sometimes it gets heated. There have been more times than not lately that Brittany’s found Santana tugging on her waistband and even Brittany’s guilty of trying to take of Santana’s bra.

It’s an exhilarating feeling – to have these moments with Santana with this underlying fear of getting caught. It’s almost like a game to see how far they can get before they have to stop, but as much as Brittany loves a challenge she’s also starting to want more.

Not _more_ as in wanting to take things to the next level – although she really wouldn’t mind that either – but _more_ as in wanting to do things without having to hide. It doesn’t always have to be a steamy make out session, sometimes Brittany just wants to do simple things too.

Just the other day at school, Brittany tried holding Santana’s hand in the hall but Santana was so smooth in evading her. Brittany figured it might’ve been a coincidence; maybe Santana needed both hands to carry her books but a little piece of her didn’t think that was so true.

It wasn’t until a few days later that Brittany tried it again and noticed Santana do the same exact thing. It wasn’t a coincidence, Santana was purposely avoiding holding Brittany’s hand.

But Brittany wanted to be sure. After all, it was a pretty big accusation because why wouldn’t Santana want to hold her hand in public? It’s not the riskiest thing they’ve ever done.

\\\

Brittany starts to get creative in trying to lure Santana away from being so secretive, but it doesn’t work too well in her favor. In fact, it does nothing but confuse Brittany even more.

Santana doesn’t want to hold her hand, fine. But apparently, linking pinkies is okay?

They can make out all over the locker room and sometimes behind the bleachers, but Brittany can’t kiss her in the hallway?

At first, it was an innocent mystery that Brittany wanted to solve but the longer it went on the less fun she started to have. Santana was afraid and Brittany could understand why she would be after every thing that has happened to her, but it was becoming the giant gay elephant in the room. Brittany found herself coming up with more and more questions, but only one stood out the most.

What were they doing?

Later that week, Brittany tried her luck in getting an answer.

\\\

It was Thursday so that meant the last football practice of the week. It also meant Brittany coming into the locker room earlier so that she could put in extra work on the field, but lately Santana occupied most of that time.

Brittany had on her padded girdle and dry-fit tights already by the time Santana wandered into the locker room.

“Look at you already dressed,” Santana husks as she moves closer to Brittany’s side of the locker room.

“Almost,” Brittany nods before turning to get her shoulder pads on.

She figures the more gear she has on, the less of a chance she’ll be distracted by Santana’s sweet lady kisses. Her shoulder pads are kind of her last line of defense so she’s quick to get them on – so quick in fact that she forgets to put her practice jersey on them first.

Santana takes a seat on the bench and watches Brittany work. There’s that familiar glimmer in her eye as she watches Brittany’s fingers move to get the clasps in place. The look makes Brittany feel hot all over. She keeps her eyes focused on the task at hand though, certain that if she were to glance Santana’s way they might get wrapped up in each other yet again.

Brittany gives the pads a hard tug once everything’s secure and it isn’t until then that she realizes she forgot about the jersey. She can get it on herself, but it’s probably the hardest thing in the world to do once your pads are already on because it kind of becomes a two-person job.

She’s going to need help and lucky for her, Santana is probably all too willing.

Brittany bites her lip as she holds the jersey in her hand, contemplating whether or not she should struggle in silence or just risk the wonderful consequences of asking for help. She’s in the middle of weighing out the pros and cons when she sees Santana stand from the corner of her eye.

“You need a hand with that?”

The pads hide how Brittany’s shoulders ease at the question. She’s nodding before fully thinking it through. 

“I just need help getting it over the shoulders,” Brittany says as she pulls the jersey over her head, “I can do the rest.”

“Okay,” Santana gestures to the bench, “Sit.”

Brittany does as she’s told and tries to keep her breathing even as Santana stands in the space between her legs. She’s not sure what it was about the way Santana commanded her, but memories of the night at Puck’s come rushing back. They clog up her brain while Santana wears a coy smile, doing her best to work the jersey over the pads one by one.

It’s a little overwhelming for Brittany to have her standing so close, that she almost forgets what she was meant to be asking her today. There are things, important things that need clearing up and it doesn’t seem like Santana is in a rush to address them which means Brittany has to.

But it’s kind of hard to think straight with Santana’s boobs practically in her face.

“You know, these uniforms never really _did it_ for me. Just reminds me of dumb, sweaty boys,” Santana mumbles as she gets the jersey over the final pad, “But on you? God, you look really hot.”

Brittany bites her lip and she can already feel herself wavering under Santana’s heated gaze as she eyes her up and down. Maybe she should quickly put on her helmet? That would definitely keep her from getting swept up in Santana. You can’t make out with anyone through a face mask.

Brittany’s too slow to move before Santana’s bending down to plant a wet kiss on Brittany’s lips. It’s always the same feeling – a sigh of relief – and Brittany just breathes her in. She revels in how the kiss makes her feel like she’s soaring through clouds of cotton candy. She can’t imagine doing this with anyone else anymore and that thought surprises her.

If she doesn’t want this with anyone else, Santana has to know that because maybe she feels the same way too? Maybe the way Brittany feels about her is enough to show Santana that they can be more than just this…if she wants.

That’s the big question though, isn’t it? Maybe that’s why Brittany’s been dragging her feet a little? What if Santana’s perfectly fine with how things are right now? What if she doesn’t want to be anymore than this?

Brittany just has to know. For just a little longer, Brittany continues the kiss before she starts to pull away.

“We should probably talk…”

Santana’s kissing along her jaw now instead, “About?”

Brittany swallows roughly, momentarily distracted by the feel of Santana’s lips, “That feels so good.”

“Mhmm.”

Brittany tries valiantly to focus although her hands slide up Santana’s thighs and settle on her hips. Santana shed her track pants at some point so all Brittany feels is her soft skin and that feels so good too.

“We should talk about this,” Brittany says.

“About me kissing you?” Santana smirks against Brittany’s pulse point before pressing a kiss there. Brittany has to bite back a moan as Santana’s lips brushing against a sensitive spot.

The blonde shakes her head though, “What are we doing?”

“I’m getting my mack on.”

Brittany wants to laugh at that because who says _getting my mack on_ anymore, but Santana’s kissing just near Brittany’s ear and concentrating starts to become a losing battle. Santana’s whispering sweet nothings about how sexy she looks in tights and how badly she wants to make her feel good and Brittany feels like she’s wrapped around her finger now.

“Santana,” Brittany tries to pull herself from the daze but the way the name falls from her lips sounds more like a whimper and it eggs the Co-Captain on even more.

“I love when you say my name like that,” Santana husks before nipping at Brittany’s earlobe.

Brittany’s heart is racing a mile a minute. She grips at Santana’s Cheerios jacket like it’s going to keep her from ripping it off of the brunette. She’s slipping, but she has to try once more.

“Santana…”

“Mhmm?”

“Seriously,” Brittany says. She tries to sound a little firmer but her voice wavers, “We should talk.”

“Why do we need to do that?” Santana rasps as she lifts one leg to straddle Brittany’s thigh, “Kissing you is so much better.”

Brittany gulps at the way Santana presses into her. She kind of has a point.

It’s the biggest mistake when Brittany’s hands fall to rest on Santana’s thighs, “I know but…talking.”

Santana leans in again to continue kissing along Brittany’s jaw, “What about it?”

“It’s good,” Brittany feels herself shiver and she doesn’t quite know if she’s talking about _talking_ or Santana.

“This is good too, right?” Santana says in that sultry, sexy tone of hers.

It’s all it takes before Brittany’s abandoning her efforts and pulling Santana to straddle her completely. She’ll just have another go at this some other day, because clearly neither of them are in the right state of mind for a serious conversation.

Maybe next time she’ll put her helmet _and_ mouthguard on first?

\\\

“Tomorrow’s a big day Titans,” Coach Beiste says as everyone takes a knee in front of her, “It’s the first game of the Playoffs.”

The team cheers loudly at that, rowdier than ever although everyone is exhausted from such an intense practice. It’s a different kind of energy than usual and the players soak it up.

Brittany watches her teammates with this proud grin on her face. The past two weeks have breezed by but she’s happy with how they’ve ended the regular season. It’s been one of the toughest ones she has ever played with so many obstacles to overcome but the fact that the Titans are ending the regular season 11-1 is something no one saw coming.

Brittany feels such a sense of pride knowing she had a hand in getting them there, even if it took a little longer than she’d like to get everyone on board with her. She hasn’t had an incident with Karofsky and Azimio in awhile, but that doesn’t mean she’s out of the woods just yet.

Coach Beiste smiles before getting the team to settle down.

“I know. It’s exciting stuff and everyone has worked their asses off this season. I’m proud of how far we’ve come as a team,” Coach continues as she looks around at the squad, “But we aren’t done yet. There are two Playoff games this year and if we can manage it, we’ll be meeting Carmel High in the Championships.”

“That hasn’t happened in years!” Finn gasps.

“Man, I can’t wait to kick their asses,” Puck follows, “They’ve had it coming for so long.”

Brittany smirks at the two, “We’re totally going to win this thing.”

“I want everyone to stay focused. Put in the work and we’ll get there,” Coach tells everyone, “We need to be a well-oiled machine from now on. It’s football and school, nothing else. No partying, no girls, no boys, no outside interferences.”

Brittany knows Coach is talking to everyone in general, but her words resonate with her the most considering how her personal life has been lately.

“She’s talking to you, Stud,” Puck jokes with a nudge to Brittany’s arm.

He wags his eyebrows at her but Brittany isn’t sure what he’s hinting at. What could he possibly know? He’s either just being funny or he really does know something, Brittany isn’t sure. She just shakes her head at him before turning back to the Coach.

“We’re getting to the Championships and we’re going to win this school that trophy,” Coach goes on, “Understood?”

There’s a sea of _Yes Coach!_ but Brittany stares blankly at the turf. She needs to figure out this thing with Santana before it’s too late.

\\\

By Monday, Brittany’s nearly hit her breaking point.

With Thanksgiving in just a few days, it’s a shorter school week. Wednesday is a half-day for the students, but for the Titans, it’s Game Day and the buzz around it is unimaginable. A win could put them in position to go up against their long time rival, Carmel High, and the Titans are as motivated as ever to make that happen.

It’s a ton of pressure on Brittany which she usually works well with if it were the only thing on her mind. But it’s not, it hasn’t been for weeks now and she knows that isn’t fair to her team. She needs to give them everything she’s got, but she can’t do that when Santana’s the one that is unknowingly wielding most of her.

With winning their first Playoff game last Friday – successfully ending the McKinley High Playoff drought – the next game is even more important. This game might determine the futures for a lot of Seniors on the team, maybe even her own and she needs to focus on that like Coach Beiste said.

If only it were that easy.

She was never good at keeping secrets and what she and Santana have been doing since Puck’s party felt like the biggest secret she ever had. At first it was fine, maybe even kind of fun, but now? She feels so conflicted; loving her time spent with Santana in private but wanting more for them.

She likes Santana, that’s obvious to her now but it’s not very useful when it comes to breaching the topic about what they’re doing. Especially when it seems that every time Brittany has tried to bring it up, Santana either deflects or distracts her with sweet lady kisses.

\\\

Brittany decides she’s going to bring it up today. No more dragging this out any longer, for both of their sakes she just has to get this off of her chest already. 

And she’s not going to let Santana wiggle her way out of it this time, Brittany’s finally going to get some answers. All she needs to do is get through the remainder of her school day before she can try to figure out what’s going on between them. 

\\\

Brittany’s on her way to Ms. Holliday’s class when she spots Santana and Puck talking heatedly across the hall. She’s not sure what they’re saying, but Santana looks annoyed and Puck looks how he always does – cocky and a little mischievous. It makes Brittany feel uneasy but as she approaches, they go their separate without even noticing her.

Once she gets to class, she finds Santana getting out her materials. They share a simple greeting like always before sitting down to get started on the class warm up. Brittany can’t help but glance to her side when Santana doesn’t automatically offer to do the work together.

There’s this crease between her brows like she’s in deep thought. Brittany knows it can’t be the warm-up because Santana never fails to breeze right through it. This is bigger and it worries Brittany the longer she watches.

“Is everything okay?” Brittany asks timidly.

Santana doesn’t bothering looking her way as she answers.

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t it be?”

Brittany looks from Santana’s profile to her left hand and frowns.

“You’re doing the work with an eyeliner pencil.”

Santana snaps out of it and glances down at her work, “Shit. I just bought this too.”

Brittany continues to watch Santana rummage through her pencil case for an actual writing utensil. She seems off and Brittany wonders why she won’t just tell her what’s going on.

“You sure you’re alright?” Brittany tries once more, “You looked kind of…upset when I saw you talking with Puck.”

Santana shakes her head and continues to avoid Brittany’s gaze, “It’s fine. He was just being an annoying asshole. Nothing new there.”

“Oh,” Brittany gnaws on her bottom lip and looks to her work, “What were you guys talking about?”

“Just something JBI said on his stupid show,” Santana shrugs, “It was nothing. Like I said, Puck was just being a pain.”

Brittany stiffens, “What did JBI say?”

Her imagination goes into overdrive and she starts come up with her own answers. Have they been caught somewhere? They’ve been super careful but things still happen. Now Puck’s comment at practice starts to make a little sense, but she hasn’t heard anything, so maybe it’s only about Santana? She has no idea.

“It doesn’t matter,” Santana sighs, “It wasn’t true anyway. Puck just wanted to confirm or deny.”

The way Santana’s being so dismissive about this doesn’t sit well with Brittany. She knows that Santana harbors things, she’s still yet to tell her how the fight started those weeks ago too. And Brittany can’t force her into talking, she can only make her comfortable enough to say it on her own.

“You’d let me know if he was bothering you, right? Especially Puck,” Brittany asks, “If someone on my team isn’t being cool, I can deal with them. It’s part of my Team Captain duties.”

Finally, Santana looks her way.

There’s this smitten little smile on her face as she softens. Brittany’s never seen her look at her quite like that before, that might be her favorite kind of Santana-smile yet. 

“You’re sweet.”

Brittany continues to look warily at her though and it has Santana sighing before she reaches over to cover the top of Brittany’s hand with hers.

“It’s okay,” Santana tells her earnestly, “I promise you.”

Brittany glances down at their hands then back up at warm brown eyes. The touch is soft and sure; Brittany hopes Santana keeps her hand there forever. She can do nothing but relent.

“Okay.”

“Okay,” Santana smiles once more before nodding to the warm-up, “Do you want to work on this together?”

Brittany beams at her, “Yeah!”

They fall into their usual routine of working together; Santana lets Brittany take the lead and only coaxes her in the right direction if she’s heading the wrong way just like she does during their tutoring sessions. Santana never makes Brittany feel less than for her mistakes and that’s one of the best things about how well they work together.

“So, are…you going to practice early again today?” Santana asks awhile later.

Brittany knows what that’s code for and smirks, “Yeah.”

“Do you…need help warming up?”

She knows what she should say to Santana but something has her hesitating on an answer. Maybe if she plays her cards right, she can do both? Talk _and_ – as Santana would say – get her mack on?

“Always,” Brittany finally says.

\\\

When the final bell of the day rings out, it feels like she’s off to the races. With Titans’ practice starting at 4 and Cheerios’ practice starting at 3:30, there’s only about 20 minutes of alone time with Santana.

It’s not really a conversation she wanted to rush through, but she rather at least get it started before practice than to continue dragging it out. So Brittany gets to the locker room early and heads over to get changed like always.

And like always, Santana wanders in a few minutes later.

“Need help with your jersey?” She flirts but Brittany remembers this time to put them on her pads first.

“It’s okay,” Brittany says instead as she works to get the jersey on her pads, “I was wondering if we could maybe talk instead?”

Santana’s smile falters as she rests against the far side of the lockers, “Again with the talking…”

Brittany’s taken aback by Santana’s annoyed tone, “Sorry if I want to know what we are.”

“We’re friends. Friends who talk with their tongues super close.”

Brittany rolls her eyes, “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Make this into a _friends with benefits_ situation,” Brittany replies, “What you said at Puck’s would suggest differently.”

Santana crosses her arms, “What did I say?”

“That there’s more to this,” Brittany answers, “There’s more to us that just _friends who talk with their tongues super close_ or whatever you’re wanting to call it.”

Santana shrinks in on herself. She looks like she’ll run if Brittany pushes any further, but they have to do this now. No more avoiding the obvious.

Brittany softens at her silence, “I know you had a hard time last year and this is new to you but we can’t keep skirting around this. Ignoring the problem isn’t going to make it go away. You and I, we deserve more than sneaking around. We could be a – ”

“Look,” Santana replies, “I’m not here for anything serious.”

Brittany feels like she’s just been punched in the gut, “What?”

“I thought you knew that?”

Brittany feels blindsided, “How could I possibly know that, Santana? You haven’t said anything. You refuse to talk about this, about your feelings.”

Santana just shrugs and looks away, “Maybe because I don’t have them?”

Brittany’s never been more confused in her life.

Santana is blatantly lying to her face but Brittany can’t understand why. What’s the point of pretending she feels nothing? If anything, it makes Brittany’s heart clench in the most uncomfortable way. She’s patient and she’s kind, but she can’t put her heart on the line for someone who won’t do the same.

What’s crazy is that she knows Santana _would_ do the same. She’s seen her do it before, so what’s with the sudden change of heart? Brittany’s been nothing but understanding thus far, but this? She can’t comprehend Santana’s motive or reasoning other than her being an idiot – and she doesn’t throw that word around too often.

“I don’t do the whole feelings thing,” Santana adds.

“Maybe we shouldn’t _do_ this anymore then if that’s the case,” Brittany says and it surprises them both. She watches Santana’s eyes widen and the quick flash of what looks like regret or guilt. Brittany’s reading her like a book, but just when she thinks she has Santana figured out she goes and says the complete opposite.

“Why do we have to label this?” Santana replies. There’s just a hint of desperation in her voice, “Why do we have to _be_ anything other than us? I thought we were having fun? Why ruin that by complicating it with feelings?”

“Because with feelings it’s better,” Brittany says simply, “I can’t do this any other way, Santana. That’s just not me and I didn’t think that was you either.”

Santana looks like her world just came crashing down and Brittany feels the exact same. She remembers one of her dad’s old sayings _after laughter comes tears_ and she never really understood that until right now. All their good times over the past couple of weeks was just building them up for this reality check.

Santana isn’t ready and Brittany’s not sure when she will be.

A piece of the quarterback wishes she would’ve held out a little longer – had more time to enjoy things while they were still simple – before it came to this. She knows deep down it was the right decision though. There’s no point in continuing if there’s nothing more for her here.

Santana continues to stand there silently with this anguished look on her face.

It takes everything in Brittany to resist the urge to reach out and comfort her, but what good would that do? Apparently Santana doesn’t have any feelings so really it would be a waste of her time.

“I need to finish getting ready for practice,” Brittany says. She clears her throat when her voice cracks, “I need to focus on football. I have a team counting on me and I can’t be distracted by all of this if there’s nothing for me here.”

Santana looks up at her through her lashes and Brittany’s surprised to see her eyes tinging red. It has her reaching out before she can stop herself.

“I’m sorry,” Brittany tries but Santana dodges her hand.

It stings but she gets it.

Santana only lifts her chin before walking to her side of the locker room to get ready for practice too. Brittany only swallows back the lump in her throat and continues to get dressed.

It’s hard for her to see the good in all of this, but she knows it’s there – somewhere.

\\\

The following day, practices ends a little earlier than usual but Brittany invites Mike and Sam to the park near her house to practice running plays. Every extra bit of practice helps but more importantly, it acts as a little bit of a distraction from Santana.

Her final class of the day dragged on and the tension she felt between them was unbearable. Santana didn’t even look at her once, but Brittany couldn’t find the nerve to glance her way either. She knows Santana’s hurting, she is too, but she can’t go back on her word.

Pete tags along with Brittan to the park too, always excited to watch the Titans play.

Once they get to the park, Sam tosses the ball in Pete’s direction. He makes the catch and spikes the ball on the ground before doing his own version of a celebration dance.

Brittany giggles along with Mike while Sam cheers him on.

“Nice catch, Pete!”

“Skill must run in the family,” Mike jokes.

“It’s a Pierce thing,” Brittany chuckles, “Isn’t that right, Petey?”

Pete rushes up to give her a high five before throwing the ball back to Sam. He calls out to him to throw it again and Sam obliges. Brittany and Mike watch the two from side and cheer for Pete when he makes the catch again.

“He’s really good,” Mike notes.

“Like I said, it’s a Pierce thing.”

“I see,” Mike chuckles before suddenly looking a little nervous, “So uh…how’s things going with Santana?”

The question surprises Brittany as she raises a brow at him, “Random.”

“What?” Mike tries to look casual, “I’m just asking. You know, a little receiver/QB chit-chat?”

That makes Brittany laugh, “Right. This has nothing to do with Quinn putting you up to ask?”

“What?” Mike sputters, “No way…”

Brittany shakes her head, “Why doesn’t she go talk to Santana herself? Aren’t they best friends?”

“She isn’t getting much out of her,” Mike shrugs.

Brittany finds that really interesting.

She would’ve figured Quinn of all people would know what’s going on. It must be frustrating for her if she’s making Mike do her dirty work, but it isn’t Brittany’s place. Whatever Santana has or hasn’t said to Quinn isn’t any of her business and she isn’t going to add to the rumor mill.

Even if they’ve hurt each other, Brittany still cares about Santana and she would never do anything to jeopardize her trust.

“Well, her guess is as good as mine,” Brittany answers before jogging over to Sam and Pete.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - So we're potentially nearing the end to this one. I've been considering writing the entire school year, but I may finally be getting back to work soon so I won't have much free time to continue this. Who knows though, a miracle might happen! Don't worry, I'll get this to a good stopping point so no one's left hanging. Thanks for sticking around!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Am I heartbroken about that embarrassment of a game I had to witness last week? Yes. Do I wanna talk about it? God, no LOL. Hopefully the McKinley Titans do a better job in the playoffs! Might even mess around and make QB!Britt’s Game Day playlist

Santana stomps her way over to Quinn’s locker and slams it shut in one big huff. Quinn looks up from packing her duffle bag, annoyed confusion written all over her face.

“Problem, Lopez?”

Santana continues to grimace but looks hesitantly around the locker room, her brows furrowed and her shoulders stiff. Her chest feels tight with everything she’s been holding in and she swears she’s about to burst at the seams if she doesn’t say something soon.

The squad filtered out minutes before and Brittany’s still practicing on the field with the Titans, but she can never be too sure. Someone’s always listening it seems and she can’t be burned a second time.

“Hello?” Quinn waves her hand at Santana, “Is there a reason that you’re going around slamming lockers?”

Santana can hear the annoyance in her tone but her facial expression says differently when their eyes finally meet. For as long as they’ve known each other, all it takes is one look to realized something deeper is going on.

Quinn softens, “Shit. What happened?”

Santana shakes her head and lets out the tiniest whimper, “I’m fucking this up.”

Quinn catches Santana just as she stars to slide down the lockers in trembling mess. She pushes Santana to sit on the bench instead.

Hot tears start to stream down Santana’s cheeks like the floodgates have finally opened. She hasn’t let herself feel the brunt of everything yet, not until now. It’s a little relieving, but it’s not enough.

“What are you talking about?” Quinn asks.

“I’m fucking this up.”

Quinn lets out a sigh but keeps holding Santana up as she continues to sob. Instead of pressuring her to talk, Quinn just let’s the girl cry it out first.

\\\

Once Santana has finally settled down some, Quinn hands her a couple tissues from the travel pack she keeps in her duffle. She eyes her wearily before trying to get an answer out of Santana again.

“So, are you going to tell me what’s going on now?”

Santana’s averts her gaze to the ground. Her jaw is set and her lips are sealed as she wipes the angry tears from her face.

The reluctance to talk has Quinn rolling her eyes.

“Don’t be stubborn. You’ve been in a bad mood all day then you go and do _that_ ,” Quinn gestures to her locker, “Just tell me. Is it about your dad? Is he giving you a hard time again?”

Santana shakes her head.

Quinn thinks, “Is this about JBI’s blog? Because I doubt anyone is believing a word he says after his whole tater tot conspiracy was a bust. He’s already lost a ton of followers, I think he’s just reaching now.”

“It’s not that.”

“Okay…then what is it?”

Santana lets out a deep sigh, “She just wanted to talk and I couldn’t even do that.”

“Brittany?” Quinn asks hesitantly.

Santana nods.

“What’d she want to talk about?”

Santana threads her fingers together and squeezes, “Us.”

Quinn looks confused, “And you couldn’t talk about that because…”

“Why do you think?” Santana grumbles, “Because I’m a goddamn coward, that’s why. She wanted to talk about us and what we were doing and I just – I couldn’t.”

Quinn sighs and starts to rub Santana’s back.

“I knew it was coming. She’s been wanting to talk for weeks now I think. I just – I did what I always do,” Santana admits, “I got in my head about it. I let that stupid little voice take over. I told her I didn’t feel the same way she did. I told her that I wasn’t looking for something serious.”

Quinn stays quiet as Santana continues to rant.

“I don’t know why the fuck I said that! I thought I was getting better at this. I thought I was making progress but I still ended up doing the same thing!” Santana adds, “I fucked this up and now she’s done with me, Q. I didn’t think she’d do it. I thought I’d have more time to figure everything out.”

“What’s there to figure out?” Quinn wonders.

“I don’t know,” Santana shrugs, “How to have a girlfriend when most of the student body here are assholes? How to have a relationship with someone that isn’t solely based on sex or how to boost my reputation? How to do any of this when my dad can barely look at me because I’m gay! How am I meant to be any good for her when I can barely look at myself sometimes? I’m ready and I’m not and that’s the worst fucking thing about this. I’m my own goddamn enemy.”

Quinn looks a little surprised by Santana’s honesty but she nods like she gets it.

Santana moves to hold her head in her hands. That might’ve been the first time she’s ever owned her sexuality so easily but she can’t even enjoy it right now.

“What do you want to do?” Quinn asks but Santana only shrugs again.

She’s been thinking about that all night and day, but there’s only one thing that keeps coming to mind and it isn’t really an answer. It’s more like a realization that’s probably been in the back of her mind for a long time now, maybe since the Homecoming dance.

She doesn’t know how it’ll help now. This isn’t some rom-com movie where all it takes is this grand gesture, a profession of her true feelings and all is right in the world. No, there’s real work to be done first and she hasn’t a clue where to start.

“I don’t want to lose her,” Santana replies softly.

“Well, fix it then?” Quinn suggests which earns her a disbelieving look, “What? You’re Santana Lopez, resident bad bitch of McKinley. You’re not supposed to be afraid of anything, yet here you are letting all of these fears push you around.”

“I’m not afraid.”

“Santana, you literally just said – “

“I know what I said!” Santana snaps.

Quinn purses her lips but relaxes, “We’ve had this conversation so many times. When you don’t try, you let them win. You want that? You want these people to be the reason why you can’t go out on that field tomorrow night and kiss the girl that you love?”

Santana doesn’t even waver at the word, she just wonders how long Quinn’s known.

“No.”

“Well then…”

“It’s not that easy.”

“Sure it is.”

“Tell that to Kurt,” Santana huffs, “He gets a slushie facial on the regular. Remember that kid everyone thought he was dating? He was bullied so badly that he had to _transfer_ schools! I can’t deal with that. If I get into one more fight, that’s it for me. Honestly, I don’t think I could handle going through the rest of this year dealing with that shit and I can’t drag her down with me. She’s so much better than this place and everyone in it.”

Quinn narrows her eyes, “Well for starters, Brittany put a stop to slushie facials. There hasn’t been an incident in months.”

“That you know of,” Santana replies, “The football team isn’t the only ones capable of throwing a slushie in my grill.”

“You act like you’re taking on the entire world by yourself,” Quinn argues, “You realize you don’t have to do that, right?”

Santana frowns, “What are you talking about?”

“You’re trying to protect her and that’s thoughtful and all, but did it ever occur to you that she doesn’t need it?” Quinn replies, “You keep putting yourself in this position, but you don’t have to be in it. You have more people than you know that are rooting for you. Lean on them because you don’t have to face these people alone.”

Santana laughs bitterly at that, “You and who else? My mom? You guys going to create a secret service to follow me around everywhere to make sure nothing happens to me?”

Quinn lets out a frustrated sigh, “Well what now then? You just going to let them dictate your life? Just like your dad?”

Santana’s jaw tightens at that. She knows Quinn struck that nerve on purpose and she both hates and loves her for that.

“You can’t compare yourself to Kurt,” Quinn adds, “What you’ve both gone through is different so you can’t use him as an excuse.”

“He doesn’t deserve the way people treat him,” Santana replies, “The way _I’ve_ treated him.”

“And neither do you, but there will always be assholes wherever you go,” Quinn says, “The difference between you and him is that one of you isn’t going to let them win. One of you is still trying.”

Santana’s at a loss for words and they both fall into silence.

“You said you don’t want to lose her?” Quinn mentions a moment later, “Well it doesn’t look like that from where I’m standing.”

“I _don’t_ want to lose her,” Santana reiterates.

“Then you should probably talk to her before you give her the wrong idea, genius.”

Santana shakes her head and lets out a bitter laugh, “You make it sound like it’s the easiest thing in the world to do.”

“It is.”

“Says the girl that has practically dated Mike Chang for months yet refused to put a label on it until two weeks ago!”

Quinn purses her lips at Santana’s outburst, “We didn’t put a label on it because Mike’s parents didn’t want him dating during his Senior year. It had nothing to do with what _we_ wanted, but that’s not what we’re talking about. We’re talking about you and Brittany.”

Santana sucks in a breath to calm herself down. It’s like a quiet apology that only she and Quinn share after years of friendship. They just sit together for awhile in silence while Santana’s mind works through it all.

“I don’t do relationships, Q,” Santana admits softly.

“You have an excuse for everything,” Quinn laughs, “You don’t _do_ them because you’ve been dating boys this whole time when you’re gay as hell.”

Santana smiles at that.

“Are you really considering stepping back in the closet just because you’re too afraid to go out of your comfort zone?” Quinn asks, “Because that’s the kind of message you’re sending.”

“I don’t know,” Santana huffs.

“Jesus,” Quinn groans as she goes to face Santana fully, “The answer is no. You’re _not_ going to do that. You’re a fighter, Santana. I don’t know when you forgot that but you are.”

Santana sits a little straighter. She doesn’t know when she forgot either.

“We’ve been friends for so long and I’ve seen the difference in how you are with Brittany versus all the dumbass guys you’ve dated,” Quinn says, “It’s a good different and you deserve it. After all that bullshit you went through last year, you deserve to have someone too. I don’t know how many times I need to tell you that before it gets through.”

Santana feels a different kind of loved, a kind that only longtime friends can share, as she takes in Quinn’s advice. There’s few people in her life that she can trust to give it to her straight and Quinn’s one of those people.

“You hear me, Lopez?” Quinn urges, “You deserve this and so help me God, if anyone tries to say anything to you or her I’ll – “

“Okay, okay,” Santana pauses her with a chuckle, “I get it.”

Quinn relaxes and gives her an encouraging smile, “Talk to her.”

“Tomorrow’s that big game or whatever,” Santana frowns, “I don’t want to be a distraction.”

“Then do it after?” Quinn suggests, “Whatever. The sooner the better though.”

\\\

That night, Santana paces her room trying to screw her head on straight. It’s pep talk after pep talk, anything to ease the anxious feeling in the pit of her stomach. If she’s prepared well enough, then maybe it won’t be so scary to put her heart on the line like this?

At least, that’s what she’s trying to tell herself.

Tomorrow’s the final game of the Playoffs and she knows how important that is for Brittany, so she doesn’t want to cloud her concentration. She’ll keep to herself and leave Brittany be for now.

Santana decides that she’s going to approach Brittany after the game like Quinn suggested. Hopefully she’ll be in high spirits after a big win and Santana won’t have to compete with the blues of losing. 

Who is Santana kidding? She knows that if anyone can take the Titans all the way, it’s Brittany.

\\\\\\\\\

As Brittany returns home after her morning run, she’s surprised to see her mom up and about in the kitchen. She takes out her headphones and kicks off her sneakers just in time to hear her mom call out to her.

“Morning kiddo!” Whitney calls out cheerfully. She’s wearing her polka dotted apron and there’s a spatula in one hand, a frying pan in the other.

“Morning,” Brittany smiles as she ventures in. Her stomach grumbles at the smell of bacon, “You’re up early.”

“Got the day off today,” Whitney tells her, “Thought you could use a real breakfast to start off the day. It’s an important one.”

Brittany smiles before going to grab a water. She was hoping the run would help clear her head since her thoughts have been running a muck since her conversation with Santana in the locker room. It helped a little, but the brunette still lingered in the back of Brittany’s mind.

Santana was a mystery to her. A beautiful, frustrating mystery.

“Everything alright?” Whitney asks with her brows furrowed.

Brittany continues to stare off in space, “Totally.”

“Then maybe you should shut the fridge,” Whitney teases, “You’re letting out all the cold.”

Brittany snaps out of it and realizes that she’s just been standing there with her bottle in hand. She tries to laugh it off and fills her mouth with water before turning to watch Whitney cook.

She’s cracking eggs into a mixing bowl with one hand now, Brittany always thought that was so cool, but Whitney still looks at her skeptically.

“You nervous about the game today?” She asks.

Brittany has to think. She’s always a little nervous before a game, but those are good nerves and she’s use to those. The feeling inside her now though isn’t something she’s familiar with. She kind of feels suspended, still stuck in this limbo with Santana even though they’ve talked.

If you can even call it that.

Maybe that’s what it is? Nothing feels resolved, none of her questions have been answered. If anything, there’s even more of them! It’s not a good mindset going into the final game of the playoffs. She’s been trying to tell herself that all night, but it hasn’t seemed to work.

She’s hurt and a little disappointed by how everything turned out. She hasn’t liked someone so much before and it’s been so long since she has gotten attached to anyone. It’s hard having to be around Santana now; what is she supposed to do with all the little things she has learned about her? It seems wrong to throw them away, but she doesn’t know what the point is in keeping them.

She’s not gonna need them anyway at this rate, but that also makes her wonder. Was that it for them? A whirlwind two weeks then this? Is that all they are meant to be?

Call it crazy optimism but as much as Brittany wants to throw her hands up and call it quits, she can’t. She’s never been a quitter and this thing that pulls her and Santana together is too strong to ignore. She could barely go a day without speaking to her, let alone the rest of her time in Lima. Maybe she should try again, but that also opens her up to getting hurt a second time.

When she sees Whitney look up at her from the corner of her eye, she realizes she hasn’t answered yet.

“My head’s just full of other things right now,” Brittany admits as she plays with the latch on her water bottle, “It’s hard to concentrate.”

Whitney quirks her brow at that, “What’s going on?”

Brittany only shrugs.

“Boy drama?”

Brittany shakes her head.

“Girl drama?”

Brittany hesitates before shaking her head, “I don’t really want to talk about it yet.”

“Okay,” Whitney nods, “You aren’t in any trouble, right?”

Brittany smiles at that, “No, mom, I’m not in any trouble.”

“I’m just checking,” Whitney chuckles as she cracks the last egg into the bowl. She pauses for a moment before looking to Brittany, “Well kiddo, focus on one thing at a time. You don’t have to go solving all your problems at once, okay?”

“Okay.”

“I know I don’t need to tell you that,” Whitney adds, “You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, but everyone needs a little reminder every now and then. Whatever it is, it’ll work out.”

Brittany feels a tiny spark of hope within her and nods, “One thing at a time.”

“Exactly,” Whitney winks, “Now go shower. Check on your brother too, these eggs won’t take long.”

\\\

Brittany decides _one thing at a time_ means winning this game before anything else. Football is what she’s good at, it’s where she thrives and now is as good of a time as any to get back to that.

Being apart of the Titans and getting them this far was her first commitment when she came to McKinley and it’s only right that she sees it through.

\\\

It’s the last day before Thanksgiving break so a lot the students – and even some of the faculty – have already checked out. With it being a half day, classes are also on a shortened schedule on top of the Pep Rally at the end of the day. Most people are super excited for the game later; everyone’s decked out in their McKinley High spirit gear and the Titans walk around in their home jerseys.

Everyone offers Brittany and the Titans their luck too – everyone except for the Hockey Team. They just stare bitterly from the outskirts of the crowd where they will always stay if they continue to keep a losing record.

Brittany doesn’t pay any attention to them. She just attends her classes as normal and tries to avoid running into Santana for a second day. Thankfully, she has done a pretty good job of doing just that. She doesn’t even look her way in the cafeteria during lunch although she knows Santana’s there. Like always, she can feel her eyes on her but she doesn’t give in – not this time.

It’s always a different story when she gets to her last class of the day.

\\\

Ms. Holliday greets Brittany with a knowing smile as the quarterback enters the classroom. The English teacher is dressed in jeans and a McKinley Titans spirit shirt with her hair tied up with a frilly red and white scrunchie.

“Exciting day,” Ms. Holliday says.

Brittany nods, “Definitely.”

“You’re gonna crush it,” She replies with a pat on Brittany’s shoulder before handing her a worksheet.

Brittany heads to her usual seat, a little thankful that Santana isn’t there yet. She’s been anticipating this moment all day, wondering if it’ll be different than the day before.

Yesterday, they didn’t speak. They didn’t even look at each other. They just sat in a long uncomfortable silence until the bell rang and they both could get the hell out of there as fast as they could.

But Brittany feels different about today and she doesn’t know why.

She knows she should be focusing on the game ahead, but she won’t lie and say it’s easy to go another day without talking to Santana. She’s been the best part of her day for awhile now, it feels off to be without her – especially on Game Day.

Brittany shifts into gear as she sees Santana enter the room from the corner of her eye. She looks up and watches the Co-Captain near their table; her books are hugged to her chest but her eyes stay glued to the floor. It’s the same as yesterday and it has Brittany feeling a little deflated.

But it doesn’t last for long.

“Hi,” Santana whispers as she starts to get settled.

Brittany’s eyes widen and she’s so surprised by the unexpected greeting that she almost forgets to return it.

“Hey.”

“How are you today?”

Brittany tilts her head and smiles even though Santana misses it, “Good. Nervous, but good.”

“You don’t have anything to be nervous about,” Santana tells her like it’s fact, “You’ll be great.”

Brittany softens, “Thanks.”

Santana continues to busy herself with getting her materials out while Brittany patiently waits to see if something more will happen, but nothing does.

It’s another class of sitting in silence, but it feels different this time. It’s not as heavy as it felt yesterday and Brittany’s grateful for that. Really, Brittany just feels a little relieved as she watches Santana get dismissed early for the Pep Rally.

“I’ll see you later,” Santana says and it’s another surprise, “Good luck if I don’t.”

Brittany only smiles, “Thanks.”

\\\

The Pep Rally comes and goes and now it’s just a countdown until showtime. Brittany does everything she normally would in preparation for a game and even heads to the locker room early to get ready.

It’s different without Santana there, but it’s for the best.

The Titans need her all because this kind of game is about _all or nothing_. With a loss, that’s it for them. Their season’s over and for a lot of Seniors on the team, this is it. This is potentially the last game they ever play in their high school career and Brittany can’t have that on her conscience if she doesn’t give it her all.

She gets dressed to the sounds of her Game Day playlist which never fails to get her in the mood to kick some ass. With having the whole locker room to herself, it’s easy to get lost in the music as she continues to get ready. She makes sure she grabs her lucky towel and tucks it into the waistband of her pants before sliding on her left glove.

All that’s left now is a bit of eye black and her helmet before she’s ready to go.

\\\

When she and the Titans take to the field for the first time, the feeling is like no other. The crowd is a sea of red and white and it’s the loudest it has ever been. The team rips through the banner and pulses with unwavering determination.

They’re hungry for a win and they’ll take down anyone in their path.

Brittany can feel the roar of the spectators in her chest and pumps her fist in the air as she admires the packed stands. It’s one of the coldest nights so far in November but she feels warm beneath the stadium lights. She knows it won’t last long though and keeps her hands tucked in her handwarmer pouch as she makes her way to the Titans sidelines.

It’s kind of inevitable that she sees Santana and the Cheerios there too.

They’re facing the crowd and waving their pompoms as they call out cheers to get the crowd even more pumped. Santana and Quinn are front and center and Brittany can’t help but steal a glance in the brunette’s direction. It’s only a quick one – enough to catch the brilliant smile she wears – before players interrupt her view.

“Pierce!” Coach Beiste calls out, “Coin Toss.”

Brittany nods and jogs out onto the field with Mike and Matt to meet the referee and the Team Captain from Crawford County Day along with their two elected players. They shake hands and introduce themselves first before the Ref goes over their usual speech about sportsmanship.

Everyone agrees to do their part in keeping the game fair before the Ref asks the visiting team whether they want _heads_ or _tails_.

“Heads,” The Team Captain calls out.

The Ref tosses the coin in the air.

Everyone watches it spin several times before it lands to the turf. They look to the ground and the Ref bends to call out the outcome.

“Tails!” He says before gesturing to the Titans, “Titans it is your call.”

“Defer,” Brittany replies, trying to keep the smirk from showing. Winning the toss is kind of like a good omen, but she’s not counting her lucky ducks just yet.

The Ref nods and announces the Titans’ decision before the players leave the field.

Crawford County Day’s special teams comes out and the Titans’ special teams does the same. Brittany hangs back by Coach Beiste as they watch Kurt kick the ball away, signaling the official start of the game.

They hadn’t played Crawford County since the early weeks of the season, back when Brittany was still working on her relationship with the team. It was a rough start back then, but the Titans were able to secure a win in the end. They’re in a much better place than they were so Brittany’s excited to see what this game offers.

\\\

Crawford County ends up being an even better competitor than Brittany thought.

It seems like the Titans weren’t the only ones working on their rhythm and communication since their last matchup. The Titans trail Crawford County by two touchdowns. It’s like every time they score, Brittany and the Titans aren’t that far behind with one of their own.

However, the Titans were shut down in their last drive and came up without any points.

It’s an offense-led game, but Brittany doesn’t like the idea of playing catch up all night. Not when there’s a Championship Game on the line. She wants to get into a better position going into the half because she knows they’ll be getting the ball afterwards. By then, she hopes it’ll be a blow out once again but she can only judge it one play at a time.

\\\

There’s still 6 minutes left in the first half which is a lot of time depending on what you can do with it, especially when you’ve got the ball – and right now, the Titans don’t. If Crawford County was smart, they’d waste as much time as possible so the Titans won’t have much to work with by the time they receive the ball again.

Judging by the current situation, Brittany thinks that’s exactly what they’re going to do.

“Shit,” Brittany mutters as she waits anxiously on the sidelines. She can faintly hear the Cheerios cheering and it makes her want to look over. She’s been doing well so far, why mess that up now?

Brittany doesn’t have a reason. She just looks over instead like it’s second nature.

And like always, Santana’s already looking back at her.

It’s cliché to say, but she steals Brittany’s breath away. She’s waving her pompoms and going through the motions, but her pretty brown eyes never leave Brittany’s.

There’s a hint of a smile on Santana’s lips, it’s barely there but Brittany knows it all too well. She knows all kinds of Santana’s smiles but this is the one she doesn’t see very often. The last time she saw it was the Homecoming bonfire. She can’t remember what they were talking about, but she definitely remembers the way Santana looked at her that night.

It has Brittany smiling back and for a moment it feels like it’s just them on the field. It makes her happy just as much as it makes her sad, because they could’ve been so great together.

“Damnit!” Coach Beiste curses when Crawford County gets another first down.

It jolts Brittany out of her staring contest with Santana and forces her head back into the game.

They need a miracle because at this rate, the Titans are going to be down by three coming out of the half. That’s not the worst scenario possible, but Brittany doesn’t need them getting ahead anymore than they already are.

She watches the ball get snapped and the opposing team’s QB drops back. He searches for a target and launches the ball downfield, but something miraculous happens – a Titan defender catches it.

The crowd goes crazy and the sidelines are even rowdier as Matt takes off with the intercepted ball. He zips through the other players until he’s ultimately dragged down by their quarterback of all people. They’re in great field position now and Brittany can’t be any happier.

“Do something with this, Pierce,” Coach Beiste tells her with a hard pat on her back.

“Yes Coach,” Brittany replies before tugging on her helmet and getting back out there.

\\\

The Titans are able to score once more before the half is called thanks to Matt’s interception. They leave the field in high spirits despite still being behind on the scoreboard by a single touchdown.

Well, most of the team is in high spirits.

“I don’t know why we can’t run the ball more!” Karofsky complains, “Lady Lips can’t catch for sh–“

“Hey!” Sam snaps.

“What?” Karofsky flinches at him, “It’s true.”

“It’s not.”

“You’re right,” Karofsky frowns as he turns to Brittany, “I thought you said you were taking us to the Championship?”

“You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink,” Brittany replies coolly.

“Did you just call me a damn horse?”

Brittany shakes her head, “I’m saying this is a _team_ effort. I can only do so much. It helps no one by tearing each other down.”

“Your head is in the clouds and we can all see it,” Azimio says.

Brittany’s stunned, “What?”

“You’re distracted,” Karofsky answers, “You’ve been like that for awhile.”

“Shit, I would be too if I was hooking up with Lopez on the low,” Azimio mutters beneath his breath.

That puts Brittany over the edge and she’s rounding on him before she realizes it.

“You don’t know anything!” Brittany shoves at him so hard that he nearly falls off the bench. The amount of strength behind the shove shocks everyone because Azimio isn’t a small guy.

“Yo! Chill out!” Azimio pushes her away.

“Talk about her one more time,” Brittany shoves at his hands as Mike starts to pull her back, “I dare you. Talk about her one more time.”

“He was just talking shit,” Karofsky defends with a smirk, “But looks like he might be on to something.”

“That’s enough,” Coach Beiste says before looking warily at Brittany, “Easy, Pierce. Whatever _that_ is, deal with it later.”

Brittany regains her composure while Azimio and Karofsky do the same.

“I give everything to this team,” Brittany states, “I put in extra time on the field. I show up early, I’m the last one to leave. Who else here takes that kind of initiative? I can’t do everything!”

Karofsky waves her off but that just makes Sam even more annoyed.

“You’re such an ass,” Sam tells him, “You’ve been holding up this team’s progress since Britt got here. Who knows if you really want to win this thing.”

“What are you yapping about now, Evans?” Karofsky rolls his eyes.

“You don’t put in the work!” Sam says, “Britt would’ve thrown at least three TD passes by now if she had more time in the pocket but you’re so crap at blocking!”

“What?” Karofsky scoffs, “Let’s count how many times she’s been sacked this game. Oh wait, you can’t because she hasn’t!”

“That’s not because of you!” Sam replies, “She’s slippery, she gets out on her own no thanks to you.”

“What about knockdowns?” Kurt asks, “There’s been a few of those.”

Sam nods, “Yeah, that too!”

“Maybe you just need to be faster?” Azimio cuts in, “All that Bieber hair is probably weighing you down.”

Brittany lets out a sigh as they all start to argue. One thing she hates about being on a team full of guys, their arguments are usually ridiculous and pointless.

“That’s stupid,” Sam grumbles as he fixes his shaggy hair, “Britt needs better protection from both of you. We can’t get downfield because you – “

“We’re doing our job!” Karofsky yells.

“Bullshit,” Puck grumbles, “We have to rely on the passing game because neither of you can create a gap in their D. I’ve been getting snuffed out all night!”

“That’s definitely not on me,” Azimio brushes off, “You couldn’t get yardage if you were the only one on the damn field!”

“The hell you say to me?” Puck snaps and lunges at Azimio.

“Hey!” Coach Beiste booms, “How about focusing on your own roles, huh? If anyone’s going to call out what’s going wrong with this team right now, it’s me. I’m the one coaching this team, not you so cut it out.”

Everyone quiets down but Karofsky continues to stew in his annoyance. It’s nothing new to Brittany, as soon as they’re down – no matter the amount they’re behind – Karofsky and Azimio never fail to complain. Instead of taking ownership, they point the finger at anyone else in the room and Brittany hates that.

“I don’t want to hear anymore of you blaming one another. Each and every one of you are responsible for the outcome of this game,” Coach says, “No one is above or below anyone. You share this load so you better be doing your part. If one of you fails, everyone does. You hear me?”

“Yes Coach,” The team says in unison.

“We might be behind right now, but we’re gaining on them,” Beiste says, “This team is in much better shape and they’re getting worn out. Keep at it and we’ll come out of this on top. You all know what to do, you’ve proved it time and time again. Stay focused. Just keep going, keep putting that pressure on them.”

Brittany inhales a calming breath. She’s done a good job of staying calm and cool under the pressure, she’s done a good job of not telling Azimio and Karofsky’s crap get to her, she can’t stop now. They’re so close to a victory, she can taste it.

Coach Beiste eyes everyone, her gaze steely with her fists resting on her hips. She looks larger than life in front of them, “This is your moment, Titans, take it!”

\\\

The Titans take to the field once more after halftime and Brittany remains optimistic about their situation. They’ll be starting the second half by receiving the ball, so it’s the perfect opportunity to tie things up. She tries to forget about the arguing and Karofsky and Azimio’s claims about Santana and get her head back in the game.

\\\

The Titans end up on thin ice after their opening drive of the third quarter is a bust.

Brittany was really banking on it to tie the score but Crawford County’s pass rush is too intense. She’s starting to see her O-Line getting worn down despite everyone thinking it would be Crawford County whose fatigue would start to show by now.

It’s been scoreless on both sides as the game clock continues to eat up the third quarter. The Titans are still a TD away from tying things up and Brittany really wants that to happen before they enter the fourth quarter.

They need a big play to get a new set of downs but like Puck said in the half, he’s been getting shut down all night. The first down is only a couple yards away and a running play would be perfect but it might as well be a mile against the re-energized defense.

They need something Crawford County wouldn’t expect, something sneaky.

So in the huddle, Brittany calls the play despite Coach’s detest. It was all or nothing, and this would be just enough to get momentum going again. They need a spark, something that would breathe life back into this team after the morale has been slowly chipped away.

This was the only way she knew how to do that.

“Peek-a-boo,” Brittany says and looks everyone in the eye to make sure they’re with her.

Her teammates look surprised but they nod.

“Alright,” Brittany nodded resolutely, “Titans on three. One…two…three!”

“Titans!” They yelled out in unison with a clap before getting back to the line of scrimmage.

Her heart was racing but this is exactly what she loves about the game. It’s all about the adrenaline and making every play count. She can do this.

Puck gets into position beside Brittany as she readies herself for the snap. Her eyes stay searching the defense for any movement, always scanning.

“Down…hut,” She says lowly. She watches her inflection and thanks her lucky stars that no one on her O-Line flinches, “Down…hut.”

Again, her O-Line are statues. She was hoping she could draw an offsides from the opposing team, but they don’t move either. She stomps her left foot and Puck changes positions, “Down…HUT!”

The ball is snapped perfectly and she quickly fakes the handoff to Puck before he charges to the left. Brittany watches the mob of players move along with him before she’s tucking the ball and taking off in the opposite direction. She just needs a few yards to get the first down and she runs like hell towards it.

She can see in her peripheral that Crawford County’s safety and corner have started to gain on her. Her feet move faster and she jolts her arm out in a stiff arm that connects with one of the players.

The corner tumbles to the ground but there’s still one more Brittany has to worry about. The safety wraps gives her a hard shove but she outstretches the ball in hopes that she can still land the first down before she falls out of bounds.

Brittany hits the turf _hard_ and the ball pops out but she can hear the Ref’s whistle blowing. She glances up in time to see him signal the first down and suddenly her shoulder doesn’t hurt all that bad.

She hops up from the ground as her teammates rush her, but even in the swarm of red and white jerseys Brittany finds herself glancing to the sidelines where Santana looks visibly relieved. Her pompoms are clutched to her chest but when she sees that Brittany is okay, Santana narrows her eyes almost as if to say _don’t do that again_.

Even if things are weird between them right now, it’s still nice to know Santana worries about her. Brittany smirks though at the chastising look and mouths an apologetic, “I’m sorry.”

But Brittany isn’t, not really. The smile she wears after making an incredible play can probably be seen from space, but they’re not done yet.

“Hell yeah!” Puck shouts excitedly as he slaps Brittany’s on the helmet, “That was so awesome!”

“Let’s do something with this,” Brittany says as determined as ever before getting her team back to their new line of scrimmage. She calls the next play but she wants to keep this momentum going and calls out, “Hurry! Hurry!”

Mike and Sam are set up with Matt on the opposite side. Puck’s next to her again to offer extra coverage as the ball is snapped. She drops back and searches for an open receiver but the linebackers are quickly closing in. The more time she sits in the pocket, the bigger chance she has of someone on her team getting penalized for holding. She has to act now!

Suddenly Matt gets open and Brittany fires the ball into his open hands. It’s like a laser beam but he makes the catch and brings it into his chest before getting tackled to the turf. It was a nice grab for a good chunk of yardage, another first down.

“Let’s go!” Mike cheers as everyone gets back into position.

The clock continues to tick away but they’re in way better field position now, Brittany has to make something of it. The endzone is right there, if she can’t get a strike she’s going to be really disappointed in herself.

In the huddle, she calls a play that’s well-practiced amongst the receivers but the challenge is whether or not her receivers can put enough distance between them and their defenders. A pass like this could be easily picked off and if it does, that’ll be a big blow to the Titans’ morale.

“Down…” Brittany calls out as she readies for the snap, “Down, HUT!”

Similar to the play before, her receivers take off but instead of running up field they make quick slants in different directions. Brittany looks for the most promising target and fires towards them. This time it’s Mike and he leaps into the air to make the catch. The ball continues to stay secured in his arms as he drops back to the turf and heads for the endzone.

Brittany watches it all happen in slow motion. One step, two step, three step, SCORE!

The stands erupt in applause while the team celebrates. Brittany rushes down to join them and for the first time all quarter, she feels like she can recognize her team again. They head to their sidelines as the special team is brought out for the extra point.

While everyone watches and waits to see what Kurt can do, Brittany’s glancing to Santana again. At first, she’s looking at the kicking team too but then she turns to Brittany almost as if she could feel her watching.

Santana quirks her brow and tilts her head toward the field but Brittany keeps staring. Maybe that hit earlier has knocked a couple screw loose but Brittany can’t find it in her to look away. She’s been depriving herself for the past two days now and in this moment, while she’s surrounded by her teammates and she’s meant to be tuned into the game, she just wants to look at Santana.

And she knows she shouldn’t want to go over there and kiss her either, but she can’t help what her heart wants.

The crowd cheering again after Kurt’s kick is good is the only thing that breaks Brittany’s concentration. The Titans have now tied with Crawford County and there’s still a whole quarter left in the game. Everyone looks revived and Brittany has such a good feeling about what’s coming next once they get the ball back.

\\\

Halfway through the fourth quarter, the Titans lead by a field goal and they’re already closing in on another TD but again Crawford County’s D isn’t letting that happen so easily. They’re on third down and short but Karofsky’s already started up with his bullshit again after another pass was batted to the ground.

“I knew you’d choke,” Karofsky scolds after Brittany calls a timeout, “What the hell was that?”

Brittany shakes her head but continues to keep her cool, “It looked like they got the jump on you. Maybe you need to keep a better eye on your man.”

“I had my eye on him!”

Puck laughs, “I bet you did.”

Karofsky shoves at him and Puck shoves back. Matt quickly gets in between them and pushes them apart.

“You’re blowing this for us,” Karofsky claims as he glares at Brittany, “You were just all talk! Now that you’re here, you’re choking.”

Brittany frowns. She knows he’s just taking out his frustrations on her because she’s the leader of this team, but it doesn’t make it hurt any less. She doesn’t usually believe a thing he says, but the more he runs his mouth the less she starts to believe in herself.

Is she blowing this for them? Should she be doing more? What more could she possibly do?

“How about you take some ownership?” Brittany says instead, “As soon as something doesn’t go our way, it’s my fault. Well, what about you? What are you doing to make this team work? What’s _your_ contribution?”

“This is bullshit,” Karofsky growls as he takes a step closer to her.

Brittany doesn’t waver, “Yeah. It is.”

She just keeps her chin held high and her fists tight by her sides. She could go off right about now, unleash all the pent up feelings she has about him and his shitty attitude and the comments he’s made about Santana.

She could do it, but she won’t. For the sake of this team and for Santana, she won’t. She’s better than him and she can’t stoop to his level no matter how bad she wants to.

“It’s not her fault you’re outmatched,” Sam replies as he pushes Karofsky back to his side of the huddle.

“I’m getting tired of you always defending in her!” Azimio snaps.

“We’re a team, that’s what we do! We have each other’s back.”

Karofsky just shakes his head before Brittany takes back the huddle. She calls her next play and tries to rally a bit of support but she can see her O-Line is tired and it doesn’t help that Karofsky keeps making things negative.

“Let’s just focus here,” Brittany tells them, “One thing at a time.”

So Brittany and most of the Titans do just that.

It’s one play at a time, one touchdown, one win. That’s all they need to do to come out of this on top.

Brittany sets up another play action and has Puck get into position next to her. The ball is snapped and she fakes it to Puck but #87 for Crawford County is in her face in an instant. It happens a lot quicker than it usually does so she has to scramble. She tries to duck and dodge him while looking for someone to offload the ball, but then she’s blindsided by #99 coming in from the opposite side.

She’s hit _hard_ once again and drops to the ground with two defenders wrapped around her. Miraculously, Brittany was able to hang onto the ball during that sack but she’s slow to get up.

Actually, she’s slow to even move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - So I've obviously broken up this chapter into two parts bc it felt right with pacing...don't be mad LOL. 
> 
> I'm trying to have at least one chapter fully written before I update now that I'll be going back to work. That's purely so I can hold myself accountable and not abandon this thing. When I start spacing updates farther apart there's an even bigger chance I'll abandon it and no one wants that but thank you for the suggestion! I can see a lot of you want this to cover the entire year so I'll keep that in mind.   
> See ya next week!


	11. Chapter 11

Santana’s jaw drops when she sees those two players tackle Brittany to the turf. The crunch of bodies colliding is engrained in her memory and pulls an audible gasp deep from within the brunette. Santana knows that Brittany wears all sorts of padding and protection under her uniform but when she sees the quarterback motionless on the ground, her heart plummets.

The next thing Santana knows, she throws down her pompoms and runs for her life out onto the field.

Santana can faintly hear Quinn calling after her but it doesn’t slow her down one bit. She has heard stories about concussed players and broken ribs and punctured lungs and whatever else could go wrong on the field. She can’t just stand on the sidelines and watch this happen in front of her eyes; she has to get to Brittany, she has to make sure she’s okay for herself.

She’s bound to be breaking some kind of rule, but she doesn’t give a shit about that – not when Brittany’s just lying there.

There’s already a crowd of players gathering around the quarterback and Santana pushes past Puck and Karofsky before sinking down to her knees next to Brittany’s head. The blonde’s eyes are closed and there’s this pained expression on her face. Santana is so used to seeing Brittany as this invincible, gorgeous girl that it breaks her heart even further to see Brittany hurting like this.

She leans over the quarterback, trying to blink away the tears starting to well in her eyes.

“Brittany,” Santana urges, awaiting some kind of movement, “Are you okay?”

Santana can feel someone trying to pull her away but she blindly pushes them off of her.

“Santana, let the Trainer look her over.”

The voice belongs to Quinn, but Santana’s not moving until she sees the blues of Brittany’s eyes again, even if that means one of these assholes has to throw her tiny body over their shoulder and haul her away.

She’s not moving until Brittany does too.

The Trainer crouches down on the opposite side and Santana eyes him up and down.

“Do you know what you’re doing?” Santana questions bitterly.

The Trainer looks surprised by the question, “This isn’t my first rodeo, kid.”

“That doesn’t mean you know what you’re doing,” Santana bristles.

“Santana,” Quinn chastises with another tug on the brunette’s arm, “Let him do his job.” 

“What?” Santana huffs, “Who knows what kind of medical experience he has? He could be a drop out for all we know!”

The Trainer scowls at her, “I’m _right_ here.”

“And?”

The Trainer shakes his head and continues his examination.

The longer Brittany keeps her eyes squeezed shut, the more worried Santana becomes.

She thinks about every moment, every word she has said to Brittany over the past couple of days, and she doesn’t want them to be the last Brittany hears. She doesn’t know if she’s being dramatic here or what, but in this moment it feels like her whole world is falling apart.

“Britt,” Santana begs, her voice cracking as she does, “Come on.”

This time, Brittany’s slow to blink but her eyes open nonetheless. She looks to the Trainer before she settles on Santana. There’s a surprised and confused look on her face before it turns into a sly smile.

“Did you just call me _Britt_?”

Santana’s lips part for the right thing to say but she fails to find the words. She’s just relieved that Brittany’s eyes are open and she’s talking. The Trainer takes over and Santana pushes to stand before she rounds on the players that surround them.

“She forgot her name!” Santana yells at them, “She forgot her goddamn name!”

“Wait, what?” Finn looks from Santana to the Trainer, “That can’t be true.”

The Trainer glares at Santana, “It’s not.”

The Titans look a mix of confused and worried and scared while Santana continues to fume.

“You have to get off the field,” The Ref says. Coach Beiste isn’t too far behind either. 

“I’m not leaving until I know she’s okay!”

Azimio shakes his head at Santana, “This is exactly why girls shouldn’t be playing this kind of sport. They ain’t strong enough, ain’t as athletic for a game like this!”

“Shut the hell up!” Santana growls, “You sound as stupid as you look.”

Azimio looks at her like she has lost her mind.

“Santana, we need to get back to the sidelines,” Quinn tries, “We shouldn’t be out here.”

Santana doesn’t budge as she looks to every Titan surrounding them, “Which one of you imbeciles was meant to guard her?!”

No one makes a sound; the players just shift side to side and look around at each other.

Karofsky seems the guiltiest, “Shouldn’t be playing if she can’t take a hit.”

Santana looks shocked by his comment as she pushes Quinn’s hands off of her. Despite being the smallest on the field, Santana steps up to Karofsky like she’s ten feet tall.

“ _You_ shouldn’t be playing if you can’t do your goddamn job.”

Karofsky waves her off, “How about you just head on back to where you came from and keep waving those pom – “

It surprises everyone when Santana lunges at him fist first.

She’s not sure where she’s aiming because the guy still has his helmet on but she doesn’t care at this point. She’s so angry by the lack of concern for Brittany that all she sees is red. If you’re running your mouth to her right now, you’re going to get punched.

“Get off the field!” The Ref orders.

“What about him?” Santana challenges while Quinn holds her back, “He should be thrown out or cancelled or whatever you call it!”

“Ejected?” Sam offers.

“Whatever!” Santana yells, “He did this to her! Throw one of your little yellow flags at him, I don’t give a shit. He’s the one that needs to go!”

“Santana, stop!” Quinn tries harder.

“Get off me, Fabray! I’m going to end him! He had one fucking job: protect her! He couldn’t even do that so now I’m going to go ALL LIMA HEIGHTS on his sorry ass!”

Everyone starts to get restless the angrier Santana becomes. Mike and Sam try to help Quinn with wrangling Santana while Puck’s looking curiously at Karofsky. He starts to see Santana’s point and steps up to him.

“You let that Linebacker get the jump on you. Didn’t you?” Puck accuses before looking to Azimio, “You both did!”

“Prove it,” Karofsky mocks while still avoiding Santana, “You can’t.”

“I was the _only_ one blocking for her!” Puck argues, “I was the only one there! Where the hell were both of you?”

Karofsky brushes him off and glares at Santana, “Get the lesbo out of here so we can play some real football! I’ve over this!”

“That’s right!” Azimio adds, “Too many damn emotions out here.”

Quinn loosens her grip on Santana at that, “On second thought, I’ll help you.”

The pair of them go to tag team Karofsky and Azimio while Mike and Sam try to break it up. Puck’s going after Azimio with Quinn and Finn’s just looking back and forth trying to make sense of everything. Coach Beiste is trying to help break up the fighting while Coach Sue looks on at her Co-Captains with a satisfied smile on her face.

Everyone’s so wrapped up in the commotion that they don’t see Brittany sitting up with the help of the Trainer.

\\\\\\\\\

Brittany’s nodding to every question the Trainer asks about how she feels and other routine questions that could spot a possible concussion. In all honesty, it’s not the hardest she’s ever been hit but it has been awhile so she can see why she’s a little slow to recover.

Hearing Santana call out her name so many times really helped though.

“I’m good,” Brittany assures the Trainer, “Just a hard hit.”

The Trainer seems satisfied with Brittany’s responses so he helps her get back on her feet.

Brittany wiggles out the slight soreness but she feels good – she can keep playing, no need for a Concussion Protocol. What she doesn’t expect to see is Santana and Quinn trying to take on her Right and Left Guards. Actually, she doesn’t expect to see all the arguing going on between everyone.

Crawford County is just staring at them while the officials and coaches try to get everyone under control. It might be the rowdiest game this stadium has ever seen and that’s including the game against Carmel High where Puck was ejected for swinging at a player. 

Santana’s the feistiest one there and it doesn’t look like she’s backing down any time soon.

Brittany doesn’t understand why she’s here though – well, she _does_ and she _doesn’t_. Santana was the one who said there were no feelings here; if that was really the case then what’s the explanation for this? Because despite everything she said that day in the locker room, Santana is once again showing the opposite of what she truly feels.

There’s no time to sit and overthink it though, there’s still a game Brittany needs to win.

She thanks the Trainer for checking on her before jogging over to the feuding players.

“We don’t discriminate based on gender!” Coach Beiste shouts as she pushes Karofsky back after something he said. Her face is beet red as she says, “What’s the matter with you?”

Brittany raises a brow at that but Karofsky isn’t her main focus, Santana is and the girl is still trying her hardest to fight through Mike in order to get to Azimio. Santana doesn’t falter in her advances until Brittany makes her presence known by standing in her way.

“Santana, stop,” Brittany tells her calmly with her hands on the Co-Captain’s waist. The touch seems to surprise Santana and she instantly relents enough that Brittany can guide her back even further.

The more distance Brittany can put between the team and Santana right now, the better.

Santana only stares blankly at Brittany like she has just seen a ghost.

“Should you be up?” She asks worriedly, “You need to sit out or something?”

“I’m fine,” Brittany assures her, “I need to finish the game.”

Santana laughs in disbelief, “Seriously? You were hit hard, Britt, I don’t think – “

“So I _wasn’t_ hearing things.”

Santana frowns, “What?”

“You called me _Britt_.”

Santana softens and Brittany swears she sees a hint of a blush, “That’s your name, isn’t it?”

Brittany starts to grin despite wanting to keep her expressions to herself, “Just the first time you’ve ever said it.”

Santana crosses her arms and her brows furrow as she says, “You shouldn’t play through an injury, you’ll only make it worse. I can call my dad and have you checked out by an _actual_ doctor – not this guy who probably learned everything from episodes of Grey’s Anatomy.”

“I told you. I’m fine,” Brittany insists before she knocks on her side, “See? Rib protector; the pads took the brunt of the hit. I barely felt a thing.”

“Then why’d you look like you were in so much pain?”

“Reflex,” Brittany shrugs, “You try being hit by two Linebackers who weigh twice as much as I do. It’s not fun.”

Santana looks warily but nods in the end, “Just…be more careful, okay?”

Brittany quirks her brow at that; such a change in Santana’s tune compared to the other day. She really doesn’t sound like someone who isn’t capable of having feelings for someone else and she’s dying to know if Santana can see that too. Brittany doesn’t point it out though; not while they’re still on the field. Besides, she thinks it’s kind of nice how much Santana cares, whether she wants to admit it or not.

“I don’t know,” Brittany tries to joke instead, “Seeing you run out here trying to fight the whole team in my honor? Kind of cool.”

“I wasn’t trying to fi –"

“Alright Rocky, let’s go,” Coach Beiste interrupts as she and Quinn walk up, “We have a game to get back to.”

Santana looks at them and nods before turning back to Brittany, “Win this thing, Britt.”

Hearing Santana say her name gives Brittany another endorphins boost. She liked when Santana called her _Pierce_ , it was their thing, but this hits differently. Brittany can’t help but think about what they could be if Santana would just give them a chance. She’ll take her little wins instead though because to have Santana checking on her like this, in front of _everyone_ , and they’re sober? That’s big.

But, one thing at a time. It’s one play at a time, one touchdown, one win.

Brittany only winks before Coach Beiste starts to escort the Co-Captains off of the field.

\\\

A few minutes later, the teams are brought back together to continue the game. There are no penalties for the interruption since Santana isn’t a Titan and they’re able to pick up where they left off.

After Brittany’s sack, the Titans are now on their fourth and final down.

That means it’s their last try to make something happen this drive before the ball is given back to Crawford County. They either play it safe and have the special teams come out to punt it away or go for it and at the very least get enough yardage for a new set of downs.

It’s a tough call because they’re about three yards away from a first down.

If the Titans can turn this into something, that’ll be amazing. If they can’t, it puts Crawford County in really great field position and with just six minutes left on the clock and the Titans only leading by 3 points, no one wants that.

There’s also the issue of Karofsky and Azimio and what the hell happened that last play. With how fast she was taken down, it really makes her wonder whether or not they let the defenders slip by on purpose. It all happened so fast though, it would be hard to tell. Still, if she can’t trust the guys meant to protect her then it really throws a wrench in the overall confidence she has in her teammates.

She can’t get hit like that again either, once was enough, but she needs to make a decision: go for it or play it safe?

“I can get three yards,” Puck says confidently as if he could sense the QB’s dilemma.

Azimio shakes his head and Puck shoves at him.

“I don’t need you to do it either,” Puck barks, “You and Karofsky might as well play for the other team!”

“What?” Karofsky looks to Puck and gasps, “I’m not gay.”

“I meant literally, dumbass.”

“Enough!” Brittany orders, “I’m over the arguing. Let’s just win the game first and deal with this later.”

The Running Back doesn’t waver though as he squares his shoulders off with Karofsky. He’s the one looking for a fight now, but Brittany can’t take any more interruptions.

“Puckerman!” Brittany urges, “Focus.”

“Alright,” Puck flinches at Karofsky and Azimio one last time before turning to Brittany.

“I know the perfect play,” The quarterback says, “We haven’t practiced it much but I don’t think they’ll expect it.”

“Okay,” Puck nods resolutely, “I’m down for whatever, Cap. Just give me the ball.”

\\\

Brittany has Mike and Sam get into position on the far left side of the field and their defenders mirror them. Puck’s situated behind Brittany hoping to get a running start once he’s handed the ball.

Brittany gets up close to her Center and gets her hands ready for the snap.

“Down,” She calls out as she eyes the defense’s movement. She stomps her left foot and Matt comes rushing across from the right side, “Down…HUT!”

She grips the ball tightly as she spins around and hands the ball off to Puck who is already running to the left side of the field. The handoff is smooth and Puck’s able to bring the ball in to his chest, his arms blocking the defenders from punching it out to force a fumble.

All Brittany can do is hang back and watch the play unfold.

Puck continues to run fast and hard, bouncing off a defender, then slipping through the break in the defense that Mike and Sam are able to create – something that Karofsky and Azimio haven’t been able to do all night!

The receivers stay with Puck and offer some protection as he continues to up field, leaving Crawford County in his dust. The Titans only needed three yards for the first down and Puck’s just crossing over for five!

Brittany’s jumping up and down, pumping her fist, as she watches him haul ass. Mike gets tripped up as he throws his body in the way of a defender that nearly got his hands on Puck, so now it’s just Sam that’s chasing after him. Two Crawford County players are closing in on Puck but the endzone is just a few yards away now.

He could go all the way!

Suddenly, one of the defenders leaps forward and gets his arm around Puck’s waist and soon his heels are digging into the turf to slow him down. Puck keeps fighting though and he’s able to get an extra yard until Sam and the other defender collide into him.

“Hell yeah!” Brittany cheers as she runs up to meet the rest of her team. She jumps up in time to bump shoulders with Puck and when they land to the ground in time, she slaps him on the helmet, “Way to step up, Puck!”

Puck tosses the ball to the Ref before turning to Karofsky and Azimio with this smug grin on his face, “Told you I didn’t need you.”

“Quit it,” Brittany chastises although she’s also pretty proud that they were able to pull off that play without relying on her guards.

Now not only did they get the first down, they’re also just yards away from the endzone!

A great turn of events for the Titans, but she can’t let that get to their heads just yet. It wouldn’t be the first time they’ve been able to get this far and not come away with a touchdown. They need to be more focused than ever – especially with the game clock still ticking away.

“Alright let’s keep the momentum going,” Brittany says in the quick huddle, “We made it this far, let’s have something to show for it. Okay? Titans on three. One…two…three!”

“Titans!”

\\\

Brittany sets her mouthguard back in place before rubbing the towel that dangles from her waistband between her bare fingers to wick away the sweat. Her heart races in anticipation for being this close to the endzone but she inhales deeply to try and slow it down. It’s important that she remains cool and composed because stress on the field right now is like blood in the water and Crawford County are the sharks.

This next play was meant to be a simple run up the guts by Puckerman but Brittany reads the defense’s formation like an open book. They’re going to blitz – not good. Defenders are going to rush at them from all angles at full speed to flush out any possible run game, so Brittany has to opt for Plan B: a slant route.

“Alert! Alert!” The quarterback yells down the line in both directions to warn the team that she’s going with Plan B. From the corner of her eye, she sees #89 creep towards the gap in her O-Line and quickly points it out, “Watch #89!”

Matt adjusts his position so that he can block the defender before Brittany’s calling for the snap.

The ball is hiked and Brittany secures it in her hands. Within seconds, she quickly fires it at Mike, but his defender is able to bat it down before the receiver can bring it in for a catch. Mike looks to the turf and shakes his head as he jogs back to the line of scrimmage. 

Brittany brushes it off though and they reset for the second down.

“Shake it off,” She tells her team as she readies herself for the snap.

This time Brittany fakes the handoff to Puck before running in the opposite direction. No one is open though and the defense is quickly closing in on her. She looks left. She looks right. Still no one can get open. To avoid a second sack of the game or a possible interception, Brittany throws the ball over the heads of Sam and his defender out of bounds.

She starts to feel the pressure as the Titans head into their third down.

Brittany of course still has hope that they’ll make something happen. If anything, she can always bring out Kurt and the special teams for a field goal instead. That’s 3 extra points on the board, but being this close to the endzone? Brittany has to do everything she can to bring in a touchdown.

“This is it, boys,” Brittany says to her team in the huddle, “This is the moment Coach was talking about. There’s only a couple minutes left of this game and it’s looking good for us, but we can make it look even better.”

The guys look battered and bruised but they all nod along with Brittany.

“Big Wheels,” The quarterback calls before looking to Mike and Sam, “Run fast, get open and I’ll find you.”

Mike and Sam knock their fists together and nod.

Brittany then looks to Karofsky and Azimio. She heard Santana and Puck’s claims about them while the Trainer was looking her over. Honestly, she’s never been in this kind of situation where there’s a possibility that her own teammates would purposely let her get hit.

She looks at them with her jaw tightened, “Now’s the time to prove to everyone on this team – including me – that you deserve to be here.”

“What –“

“Don’t,” Brittany stops them, “Show. Don’t tell.”

The guards look taken aback but the rest of the team sides with Brittany on this. It’s one thing to be an asshole, but to upset the balance of the team on purpose like they’ve allegedly done? It doesn’t sit well with anyone.

“Let’s go Titans!” Brittany claps before everyone walks out of the huddle and into position.

Big Wheels is a passing play, that means Brittany has to sit in the pocket long enough for her receivers to get into position up field then it becomes a jump ball. She launches it to whoever she thinks has the best chance at jumping up and catching it despite their coverage.

Usually, the play is used for Hail Mary situations – for when they’re so far away from the endzone or first down that Brittany just has to chuck it and see if it’s caught. It’s a ballsy play, especially if coverage is tight but Brittany has faith in her receivers.

After all, they won their first game against Crawford County with this exact play. It’s kind of fitting that they do it again.

\\\

The Titans walk up to the line of scrimmage and the energy in the stadium spikes. Time is quickly ticking away and this could potentially be their last play of the entire game. The Cheerios are shouting _Go! Fight! Win!_ and the spectators pump their fist in time with each word.

Brittany looks to Santana in what feels like the first time since she left the field earlier. She’s the only one not cheering along with the squad, but instead anxiously awaiting the Titans’ next move. The incoming play relies heavily on Karofsky and Azimio doing their job correctly so it can buy Brittany some time in the pocket.

If Santana knew that was Brittany’s plan, the blonde can probably guess that she wouldn’t be too pleased with her – especially if she’s meant to be careful. This isn’t a careful sport though and Brittany can’t live in her fears. For the overall success of the team, she has to put herself in risky positions sometimes.

But it’s endearing to see Santana worry about her, so Brittany gives the Co-Captain a thumbs up before readying herself for the snap.

“Down…hut. Down...hut,” Brittany calls out coolly before leaning in again, “HUT!”

The ball is instantly in the quarterback’s hands and she drops back, keeping an eye on the defenders trying to squeeze their way through her O-Line as well as her receivers crossing into the endzone. She’s able to avoid a defender’s arm as he tries to slap the ball from her hands before Azimio pushes him back.

It’s that move that gives Brittany enough room to step up in the pocket and fire the ball towards Sam. He and his defender both jump up in the air, arms outstretched towards the incoming ball. Brittany watches with her breath held as the ball is juggled then caught and the two land in a tangled mess in the endzone.

She isn’t able to breathe again until the Sam pops up from the ground with the game winning ball in his hand just as the Ref signals the touchdown is good!

\\\

Crawford County gets the ball back with just over two minutes left in the game and they are unsuccessful in scoring against the invigorated Titans defense.

The McKinley Titans end up winning the game: 38 – 28.

They’re off to the Championships along with Carmel High for the first time in who knows how many years and they couldn’t be more excited! The Titans shake hands with the opposing team before returning to their sidelines to celebrate. They’re spraying each other with drink bottles and dancing to the music that’s blasting through the stadium speakers.

Brittany steps back and takes it all in with a proud smile on her face.

The sights and sounds and this feeling that can’t be replicated; it’s like no other and she soaks it up. Her family is chanting her name from the stands and it makes her laugh when she sees Pete with his entire face painted red and white. Her little brother is something else, it warms her heart to see him cheer for her so passionately. It reminds her a little of their dad and she’s glad that Pete’s carrying on his legacy. 

Then there’s Santana who stares at her with this quiet kind of content. Her face is relaxed of any expression, but a storm cloud looms over her as she watches Brittany stand alone on the field.

Those on the team that have girlfriends are being hugged and kissed and congratulated, but not Brittany.

She just looks at Santana, waiting and willing her to do something – will she surprise her even more than she already has tonight? Will she finally blow off whatever anyone has to say about her or them and just do what feels right? Will she just come over here and kiss her already?

It’s like Brittany’s giving her this unspoken second chance and it really does look like Santana wants to do everything Brittany’s hoping she would. The Co-Captain is looking around at Quinn and Mike, Sugar and Sam, even Puck is making googly eyes at some random Cheerio. They’re both surrounded by everything they wish they could be, but Santana never makes a move.

Instead, she deflates – as if to say _I can’t_ – before leaving with her head hung low and that just about answers Brittany’s questions.

\\\

Despite the win under her belt, Brittany’s spirits never get quite as high as her teammates’. She wishes they would, anything to make this sinking feeling go away, but it never does. Brittany can only watch as Santana and the other Cheerios leave the field and the stands begin to empty.

This is the place Brittany blooms, right here on this field, but for the first time ever that doesn’t happen. She doesn’t feel whole even after the win and she hates that she knows why that is. She just saw the reason walk away from her and there’s nothing she can do about it.

She just looks up at the bright stadium lights and wishes on them as if they were stars. She wishes that things would right themselves. She wishes for courage and strength, but not for herself. She wishes for things to get better because she doesn’t know how to make that happen on her own.

Brittany keeps wishing because in the place she used to feel so sure of herself, she has never felt so lost in the lights.

\\\

After finally going over to see her family and listening in on Coach Beiste’s post-game speech, Brittany makes her way to the girls’ locker room to get changed. She’s starting to feel those couple of hard hits she took during the game as she sets down her scuffed helmet and gets to work shedding her pads.

Brittany’s muscles are tight and her throwing arm is a little sore but it’s a nice relief once she gets her shoulder pads off. She strips down to her leggings and sports bra as she wanders over to the showers to get the water going. For once, she’s grateful she is the only one there because that means she won’t have to compete for hot water.

Brittany’s setting down a change of clothes on the bench by the shower stall when the locker room door creaks open. Brittany looks up and is stunned by who she sees creeping in.

“Hi,” Santana greets, her voice quiet as she closes the door behind her. She looks like a meek little mouse with her hands hidden in the pockets of her Cheerios jacket.

Brittany swallows dryly. She didn’t expect to see her here after the look they shared on the field, but Brittany greets her nonetheless.

“Hey. What are you doing here?”

Santana takes a couple timid steps closer, “Just wanted to say great game.”

“Thanks,” Brittany nods before turning back to hang her towel on the hook. She has to keep busy so she doesn’t try to turn this into something bigger than it is, “Have you been hanging around just to tell me that?”

“Kind of.”

“Could’ve texted me,” Brittany shrugs but Santana only nods.

“I didn’t want to. I…I also wanted to apologize about running on the field,” Santana adds to Brittany’s surprise, “I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“You were worried.”

Santana lets loose a nervous chuckle, “No, I was – “

Brittany sends her a tired look and it has Santana stopping in her tracks. She looks as if she’s just been scolded although Brittany didn’t even say a word.

“Okay,” Santana relents, “I was worried. You weren’t moving and I just…I thought the absolute worst.”

Brittany sucks in a shaky breath and watches as Santana carefully takes another few steps closer, “And that made you run out on the field?”

“Well yeah,” Santana says easily, “I couldn’t just stand there and watch you like that. What if it was serious? You never know it’s the last time until it is and I didn’t want that. I _don’t_ want that.”

Santana’s words strike a sensitive nerve within Brittany, but the quarterback continues to stand there with this look of indifference. She’s not sure whether Santana’s still talking about the game or what and it frustrates her.

“You _don’t want that_?” Brittany lets out a bitter laugh, “I don’t get you, Santana.”

Santana’s shoulders fall slightly, but she moves closer again. Now that they’re just an arm’s length away it overwhelms Brittany to have her so near, but she stays focused.

“Your words and your actions don’t add up,” Brittany continues, “You say you don’t have feelings but you rush the field when you think I’ve been hurt? You can see how I’m struggling to make sense of that, right?”

Brittany can see Santana trying to form the words but she moves too slowly.

“I don’t know what to think anymore,” Brittany adds, “I don’t know how you feel about me and it’s confusing and I don’t like it. I don’t like these kind of games. I don’t want to guess, Santana. I shouldn’t have to. If you don’t really like me then spare me the heartache and the runaround and just tell – “

Santana’s lips are on hers in an instant.

It’s like that same sigh of relief and Brittany hates how she relaxes into it out of habit. Santana cradles Brittany’s face in her hands so gently and she kisses her like her whole life depends on it. She kisses Brittany impatiently, like she’s trying to put everything she can’t say out loud behind it – but that’s what’s wrong with them, isn’t it?

Sometimes this isn’t enough, sometimes people need to hear it for themselves too.

When Brittany reluctantly pulls away from Santana, her whole body is a buzz. Her heart tells her to get back in there, to press Santana against the wall and kiss her hard, but her head says no. She can’t go back on her stance, she needs a real explanation – not a kiss that can be interpreted however the heart wants.

“This isn’t an answer,” Brittany says with her lips still tingling from the searing kiss.

“I know it isn’t,” Santana sighs. She sounds desperate as she drops her hands from Brittany’s cheeks to rest on her hips. Her thumbs smooth over Brittany’s bare skin, “But it’s all I’ve been thinking about doing as soon as you opened your eyes after that hit.”

Santana starts to lean in again and Brittany lets her, because she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t thinking about doing the same thing too.

“I wasn’t brave enough to do it out there,” Santana husks; her eyes are steady on Brittany’s, “I’m sorry. I wish I could be the kind of person you deserve to be with but I don’t think I am…not yet.”

Brittany bites the corner of her lip in thought. It’s the worst idea because she can taste just a hint of Santana’s lip gloss there and it distracts her for a moment from taking Santana’s words in. It’s the first time she’s hearing Santana be honest about her feelings and it breaks her heart a little to think Santana doesn’t see what Brittany sees in her. 

“I want to be though,” Santana adds, “I want to be brave enough to hold your hand when we walk down the hall together. I want to take you out on dates and buy you all the flowers that make me think of you, but most importantly I want to be able to kiss you whenever and wherever. Whether it’s between classes or out on that field in front of everyone after you’ve won the big game, I want to be brave enough to do it…I just don’t know how to do that.”

“I can help you,” Brittany offers, “You don’t have to do this alone.”

The tears welling in Santana’s eyes are unexpected, but the Co-Captain blinks them away as smile graces her lips, “So I’ve heard.”

“It’s true, Santana.”

“I know,” Santana replies, “It’s just taken awhile for me to believe it. You came here and everything changed, _I_ changed. But it isn’t enough. You deserve someone who isn’t afraid to show you that they…that they like you. A lot. I want to be that someone someday.”

Brittany’s so moved by Santana words that she surprises herself by being the one to lean in first. She inhales sharply as their mouths crash together once again. It’s everything that Brittany has been trying to pull out of Santana and now that she finally heard it, she doesn’t know what to do but kiss her long and hard. 

Santana’s hands are gripping Brittany’s sides while the blonde frowns at not be able to feel more of Santana too. As if Santana could read Brittany’s mind, she starts to shrug out of her Cheerios jacket. Brittany helps with pulling it all the way off before it’s tossed to the floor. Neither of them are thinking too clearly about where this is going, but the shower steam is filling the room like a sauna and it’s make their clothes feel too tight.

“ _Fuck,_ ” Santana whines when Brittany nips at her lower lip.

“Take this off,” Brittany groans as she tugs on Santana’s top. The brunette’s hands have been all over Brittany and it just isn’t fair that she can’t feel Santana too.

Santana obliges without a second thought and the top falls to join her jacket on the floor.

Brittany gulps when she sees Santana’s lacy, black bra while her hands move on their own to roam. Her breath hitches though when Santana hooks her fingers into the waistband of her tights.

“These too,” Santana whispers against Brittany’s swollen lips.

Brittany quickly sheds them, trying her hardest to keep from breaking the kiss but it’s nearly impossible to do. They giggle when Brittany hobbles around on one foot trying to pull the last of the tights from around her ankle, but then it’s not so funny.

She’s standing there in just her bra and boy shorts while Santana mirrors her doing the same. The Cheerios skirt is the last layer Santana has on and it falls to pool around her ankles.

They’re equal now and Brittany’s chest is heaving at the sight. Her head is begging to know _is this really happening_ but she’s pressed snooze on it for the time being. In this moment, she can’t help but follow her heart and it’s telling her to go for it.

Whatever _it_ means.

“I’ve never,” Santana whispers a second later.

Brittany’s heart pounds but her voice comes out surprisingly even, “Ever?”

Santana gives her a look that makes Brittany want to laugh. It’s the perfect way to break up such a nerve racking moment.

“With a guy, yes. With a girl…no.”

“Well I figured considering I was your first girl kiss,” Brittany jokes and it has Santana smiling bashfully. Brittany softens, “We don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for.”

Santana steps closer and her eyes flicker between Brittany’s piercing blues.

Then Santana leans in and the kiss that follows is softer than the ones before. It’s slow and methodical and Brittany melts into her yet again, but it doesn’t last for too long. The kiss turns needy and before Brittany knows it, she’s stepping backwards into the shower. She can’t tell if she’s the one doing the guiding or if it’s Santana, maybe it’s just a mutual thing, but when the warm water hits their bodies they pull each other closer.

They still have their bras and underwear on and the water is starting to soak through, but they don’t seem to notice as they continue to trade hungry kisses beneath the spray. After such a rough game in the freezing cold, this is the perfect way to warm up. It’s like Brittany can feel everything and it would be so overwhelming if she didn’t love every second of it.

Her hands smooth over all of this newly exposed skin, memorizing each and every curve of Santana’s body as if she was never going to see it again. Who knows, maybe she won’t? It’s one thing at a time and right now that one thing is showing Santana how great they could be together.

“Good thing you picked this one,” Santana mumbles breathlessly about the stall.

Brittany shakes away the daze of her thoughts, “What?”

“I pay the janitor to deep clean it twice a week,” Santana smirks, “No one else is meant to use it but me.”

“Whoops,” Brittany snickers, “I wondered why it was always so clean. There’s always really nice smelling body wash in here too.”

“You’re welcome.”

Brittany and Santana giggle as they share one more kiss, but this one isn’t like the others. It’s sweet and chaste and happens almost out of reflex.

Santana’s the first to break it this time, “So are you going to like…wash yourself or?” 

Brittany quirks a brow, “You saying I stink?”

Santana gives her a look and Brittany sends it right back.

“Why else would I be in the shower, Santana?” Brittany teases, “There are many walls in here that I could’ve pinned you against other than this very clean one.”

“Smart ass,” Santana smirks as she grabs the shampoo, “Turn around. I’ll do your hair.”

“Really?” Brittany grins but Santana just shrugs. The blonde turns and lets Santana get to work washing her hair like it’s the most natural thing in the world for them.

“I’ve never showered with my clothes on,” Brittany admits.

“You can lose them if you want.”

Brittany looks over her shoulder at Santana to find her with this smug grin on her face.

“I doubt you could handle that,” Brittany flirts.

“You’re probably right.”

The blonde feels that same familiar sense of floating that she’s been so desperately missing the past couple of days as Santana scratches at her scalp. Even if they’re not doing anything too risky, this is much more intimate than they’ve ever been. It’s a nice change and it almost makes up for the last couple of days they’ve been apart.

\\\

Once Santana rinses Brittany’s hair, they go back to kissing lazily. They shift back and forth from hungry and needy to soft and slow, but their last layer of clothes is never shed. Despite their bras and bottoms being a sopping wet mess, no one crosses that barrier. They just stand beneath the spray like that until the water starts to lose its warmth.

Brittany finally feels like herself again, like maybe things will be okay but there’s an odd moment of clarity and it has her pressing pause.

“We should still talk about things,” Brittany reminds Santana, “This doesn’t count.”

Santana pulls away and looks Brittany in the eye again, “I know.”

“Okay.”

Santana gives her a shy smile, “Soon.”

Brittany nods before Santana steals another kiss. She has high hopes, because that’s just who she is. She always searches for the best in people, she always gives third and fourth chances. Whether or not that’s her greatest trait or her biggest downfall, she’ll never know. But when it comes to Santana, she just has to keep her head up.

Santana said they’ll talk soon, so she’s going to hold her to that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Alrighty guys, we're shifting into possibly longer breaks between chapters now that I'm back to work. I was just sussing it during my first week back to see if I could squeeze in some writing but it's looking like I'll have to wait until my days off which are always changing. If you don't have notifications on for this, maybe start now incase I can't make it to Friday.
> 
> Thanks for being patient tho, I really appreciate it.
> 
> PS - Check out the AWESOME artwork Haru-Snixx on Tumblr made for this story. Show them luv bc it's so amazing and I'm still trying to get over how great it is!


	12. Chapter 12

Two days go by after the Titans’ big win over Crawford County Day and Brittany is starting to wonder how _soon_ is soon for Santana. She spends Thanksgiving with her family at her grandparents’ house watching football and stuffing her face with all kinds of good food and for awhile it’s enough to distract her from constantly checking her phone.

It’s a quiet day filled with random moments of sadness because her dad isn’t there to drag her and Pete outside for a quick game during halftime like he usually would. He’s not there to carve the turkey or start up with the Christmas music despite their mom’s protest, but they all set a place for him at the head of the table as if he were just running a little late.

It’s the weirdest feeling ever to know that he’s not coming.

Black Friday comes and goes in the same way. Whitney breaks out all the Christmas decorations in anticipation for the holidays which have snuck up on all of them. Pete’s as excited as always and Brittany would be too if it weren’t for the melancholy.

It’ll be their first Christmas without him, just like it was their first Thanksgiving, and Brittany’s not sure how she’s going to cope with that just yet. She’s strong and she usually speaks up when she’s ready to talk about how she hurts, but she has a hard time when it comes to her dad. Everyone in the family hurts, it’s only a matter of it getting easier to cope with as time goes on.

It’s hard to pretend sometimes that she’s over the denial of it all. Sometimes she thinks she doesn’t have any more tears left to cry when it comes to her dad, but she always surprises herself in the end. It’s true what they say about grief, it does come in waves and Brittany longs for the day they only feel like ripples.

\\\

On top of the holiday blues starting to settle in, there’s also everything going on between her and Santana. In the two days that have passed since the game on Wednesday, she hasn’t heard from Santana at all.

At first, Brittany figured it was because she was busy. With Thanksgiving and Black Friday shopping madness, things can get hectic so she was understanding like always. However, now that it’s going on Day 3 and her texts and calls have still gone unanswered, her patience has started to run thin – now she’s just annoyed.

Her head is coming up with all kinds of reasons for Santana’s silence. Did she get scared off after their talk after the game? Was she really needing all this time to work out what she wants? Maybe she got kidnapped and is being held for ransom?

That last one is a little ridiculous, but what else is Brittany meant to think? Everything that they talked about that night wouldn’t have led to a cold shoulder, not after Santana said all of those things about dates and flowers.

She likes Brittany, she said it herself, so why would she be giving her the silent treatment?

If Santana isn’t going to answer her phone or return a text, Brittany will just have to take matters into her own hands and find out herself!

\\\

When Brittany arrives on Santana’s door step later that afternoon, all that bravado from earlier starts to dwindle. She’s been here once before with Pete, but now that she’s alone and doesn’t have her cute little brother to lean on it’s kind of scary.

Brittany has heard the rumors about Santana’s family and it makes her nervous – like she’s coming in from the wrong side of the tracks. Brittany definitely didn’t grow up in a similar fashion as Santana so she isn’t sure what to expect. Then again, it wouldn’t be the first time rumors have been wrong about a Lopez.

Still, Brittany didn’t want to take any chances in case she was wrong and Santana’s parents actually are the worst. Who knows if Santana’s parents would be around, but if they were Brittany wanted to make sure she made a good first impression. Her dad always said the first one was the most important so she spent extra time trying to look presentable.

And all this because Santana wouldn’t return a call or text?

She’s going to owe her big time if this ends up being something silly.

\\\

After a big deep breath, Brittany gives a firm knock on the front door before taking a step back. With her head held high, she braces herself for whoever is bound to answer. 

A broad-shouldered man with his shiny black hair neatly coifed opens the door a moment later and Brittany’s heart nearly jumps to her throat. His brow quirks in a similar fashion as Santana’s when she’s being critical of someone and it makes Brittany gulp.

So much for steering clear of any judgement…

“Can I help you?” He asks, his voice deep and unwavering.

Brittany doesn’t know why she scared shitless right now because he hasn’t really done anything to scare her but she is. She hopes it doesn’t show though as she gives him her best smile.

“Hi, I was wondering if Santana was home?” Brittany answers politely, “I’m Br – “

“Brittany?”

Santana’s voice can be heard before she’s seen wedging herself between the man and the front door. She’s dressed so casually in dark jeans and a sweater, a stark comparison to the Cheerios uniform Britany’s so used to seeing her in but the blonde is so relieved that she’s there.

Santana looks a little shocked to see Brittany standing there on her doorstep though.

Brittany continues to smile at Santana although the man frowns and looks to the side.

“Did you invite her here? You’re grounded, Santana, that means no – “

“Who is it?” Another voice calls out, “Why are you all standing by the door?”

Santana gives an apologetic look to Brittany before she’s turning away to answer, “It’s Brittany, Mami.”

“Oh! Really?” The woman sounds equally surprised before the man steps to the side too. Out comes this woman who looks just like Santana only a little older. She smiles brightly, “Brittany, hi. I’m Maribel, Santana’s mom. This is Hector, her dad.”

Brittany looks between the three of them and smiles nervously. She wasn’t expecting to meet the entire family all at once, “Nice to meet you both.”

They all stand there for a moment and Brittany isn’t sure what’s happening right now or what all the tension she feels means. Hector continues to eye Brittany while Maribel looks delighted to see her.

Santana’s just looking back and forth between her parents like a lost little girl.

It has Brittany backpedaling, “I – I’m sorry, was I interrupting something? I could come back – “

“No, come in. Please,” Maribel gestures, “We’re just about to sit down for a late lunch.”

“Oh no, I couldn’t –“ Brittany says at the same time Hector speaks. 

“Santana is grounded remember?” He says, “She’s not meant to have any visitors.”

Maribel only waves him off, “It’s Thanksgiving, Hector, it’s fine. Brittany, will you join us?”

Brittany shifts awkwardly. She can’t really find it in her to say no to Santana’s mom; she seems really nice, but super intimidating at the same time.

Hector is just intimidating in general, but a chance to spend time with Santana has Brittany leaning towards a _yes_.

“Uhm, okay. Sure!” Brittany answers.

Maribel beams, “Great!”

Brittany watches her shoo Hector to the side so that she can invite Brittany in. Santana lingers near her mom also watching this unfold with this curious look on her face.

“It’s only Thanksgiving leftovers,” Maribel explains, “But I make a great panini with them.”

Brittany smiles at her, “Sounds awesome. I’ve never had one before.”

“Really? Well good! Come Hector,” Maribel instructs, “Help me in the kitchen.”

Hector looks back and forth between Maribel and the girls with this confused look on his face, “But Santana is – “

“Let her have this,” Maribel insists in a hushed voice that even has Brittany’s neck hairs standing on end.

Hector nods obediently before following his wife to the kitchen which leaves Santana and Brittany alone in the living room.

Brittany turns back to Santana with raised brows, “So…you’re grounded?”

Santana rolls her eyes, “Yeah. Word got back to them about my little _disagreement_ with Karofsky and Azimio…and whoever else was on the field that night. Dad’s pissed because I keep causing scenes, but Mom’s proud that I care about someone else other than Quinn and myself.”

“Wow,” Brittany chuckles awkwardly, “Well…I guess that would explain a lot. I though you were ignoring me.”

Santana’s shoulders drop, “I’m sorry. It happened so quickly, I couldn’t warn you that I didn’t have my phone anymore.”

Brittany nods, relieved that this wasn’t something bigger. It was purely a misunderstanding.

“I’ve missed you,” Santana whispers through a small smile that makes Brittany blush. Her hands are wringing themselves out and she kicks at the floor so bashfully that Brittany would laugh if she wasn’t so smitten, “Uh…how was your Thanksgiving?”

“It was okay,” Brittany answers shortly, not wanting to touch on how many times she secretly cried about missing her dad, “Just hung out with my family at my grandparents’ house and started Christmas decorating. I missed talking to you though.”

“You did?” Santana looks amazed which has Brittany giggling.

“Don’t sound so surprised,” Brittany smirks, “Talking to you is my favorite.”

It’s Santana’s turn to blush at that but just before she replies, Maribel’s voice interrupts them.

“Girls!” Maribel calls out, “It’s ready.”

The grin Santana wears instantly falls as she goes to inhale deeply, almost as if she’s preparing herself for something big to happen. It worries Brittany.

“What’s that for?” Brittany jokes lightly, “Did I just get myself into something I shouldn’t have?”

“We’ll see,” Santana chuckles nervously before leading the way to the dining room.

\\\

Brittany and Santana sit next to each other on one side of the table while Maribel sits opposite them and Hector sits at the head. The tension is still there from before and Brittany’s not sure why that is, but she focuses on her manners and continues to be polite.

Despite only eating sandwiches, the antique China cabinets and ornate dining set make the meal feel way more formal than it actually is. They drink fresh lemonade out of crystal glasses and eat off of the thinnest plates Brittany’s ever seen.

She feels like she might break something with just one touch and it puts her on edge a little, but then Santana’s hand find its way on her knee. She gives it a gentle squeeze and it’s almost enough to relieve some of Brittany’s anxiousness. It’s the hardest thing ever for Brittany to keep her eyes forward instead of watching Santana’s hand move.

“This looks really good, Mrs. Lopez,” Brittany compliments.

“Thank you, Brittany,” The woman replies with a smile, “And please, call me Maribel.”

“Of course,” Brittany nods and everyone digs in.

It’s kind of funny how they’re in such a fancy looking dining room yet they’re all eating with their hands. Maybe this isn’t as formal as Brittany thought?

“So Brittany,” Hector starts after wiping his mouth with the napkin laid in his lap, “Santana says you play football?”

Brittany gulps the last of her bite and nods, “Yes sir, I do.”

He hums and Brittany’s not sure what that means. He’s just as hard to read as Santana can be sometimes, but thankfully Maribel steps in.

“Quarterback, is that right?”

Brittany smiles, “Yes. That’s right.”

“And your parents are okay with that?” Hector asks with just a hint of disbelief in his tone.

Santana stiffens at the question, but Brittany’s no stranger to it.

“Yes sir,” Brittany answers proudly, “My dad always said if you can play the game well then you should. Judging by my stats, I think I do pretty well.”

Hector hums again but Brittany’s not sure if that’s in approval or not. She’s thinking it’s the latter just by the tone of his question and she knows it shouldn’t make her feel small but it kind of does.

“I’d never let my daughter play such a rough sport,” He says dismissively.

Brittany looks to Santana but it seems like she’s just focused on constantly keeping her mouth full. It’s a good tactic, Brittany should’ve thought of that first.

“Cheerleading is pretty rough,” Brittany shrugs casually, “I don’t think it gets enough credit really, you have to be pretty athletic. I think I was injured more times cheering than I have while playing football.”

Her answer seems to take everyone by surprise and Brittany fights the urge to smirk. A _girl_ being able to do both – cheer _and_ play football? – that’s unheard of, right? Brittany chuckles on the inside, secretly loving how she can shut down stereotypes.

“Well…” Hector sighs, seemingly stumped for the moment, “I suppose all sports have their risks.”

“True! I think the Cheerios’ drills might even be a little more intense that what I have to do with the Titans,” Brittany replies with a glance towards Santana, “I couldn’t imagine doing what Santana does every practice. I can see why she’s been Co-Captain for so long.”

“Santana’s such a hard worker,” Maribel agrees, “We’re very proud of her accomplishments.”

“I bet there’s a ton of them too,” Brittany jokes. When she sees Santana’s dimples all on display it makes her entire day.

“Stop it,” Santana whispers through flushed cheeks.

God, Brittany just wants to kiss her.

“So Brittany,” Hector says as he aims the focus back onto Brittany, “What do your parents do?”

“Well, my mom works at a diner at the moment while she tries to get her Real Estate license in order,” Brittany answers, “There’s been some mix up with the paperwork so it’s taking a little longer than usual, but she doesn’t mind the change in work since it’s temporary.”

Hector hums while Maribel smiles, “Which diner does she work at?”

“I think it’s called Frank’s?”

“Ah yes, I know the one,” Maribel nods, “Great coffee.”

“And what about your father?” Hector asks stiffly, “What does he do for work?”

Santana glances to Brittany as the blonde answers, “Well, my dad died earlier this year so…”

“Oh,” Maribel frowns, “I’m so sorry, Brittany.”

Hector nods too, seemingly a little guilty for prying, “My condolences.”

Santana just reaches over and squeezes at Brittany’s knee again and it makes this all feel just a little less awkward. Brittany’s always hated this part of the conversation, she never knows what to say.

“Thanks,” Brittany replies, trying to force a smile.

The awkward silence lingers a little longer before Santana reaches over to top up everyone’s glass with lemonade. It doesn’t take long before Hector asks another question.

“What are your plans after graduation? Will you continue playing football?”

“I hope so,” Brittany answers honestly, “I know it’s a crazy dream, but I want to play at the college level. A couple of scouts had their eye on me at my old school, but I don’t know if they’ll follow me here. It’ll look really good if I can bring home a Championship win for McKinley though – especially for the Titans considering their long dry spell.”

Hector nods, “Yes, I don’t believe the Titans have won in many, many years. It’s part of the reason why they brought Coach Beiste in, but it doesn’t look like she’s been able to end the drought either.”

“It’s probably because she didn’t have the right person leading the team,” Santana replies, “Like Brittany.”

Brittany quirks her brow at the sassy tone before looking to Hector to see what he’ll do.

“You know Brittany made Team Captain after her third week?” Santana adds as she sends Brittany a proud smile, “It took Finn Hudson an entire semester before he was made.”

“Wow! That’s amazing, Brittany,” Maribel compliments, “You must be a born leader.”

“She is,” Santana answers instead, “Brittany’s the perfect person to end the Titans’ drought.”

Brittany tries to keep the smirk from growing when she realizes what Santana’s doing and instead watches out for Hector’s reaction. He only narrows his eyes at Santana before looking back down at his plate.

The tension is palpable again so Brittany quickly fills the awkward silence.

“It’ll be an important game for a lot of people so I hope we can make something happen,” Brittany says, “Coach Beiste is really great and most of the team is really hard working. There are rumors that a recruiter from Ohio State might be there too.”

“We should watch, Hector!” Maribel suggests, “It’ll be history in the making.”

“Maybe, if I’m not working,” Hector responds with a shrug, “So if this scout doesn’t pick you up, then what? I’m sure you have back up plans. It would be silly not to.”

“Hector,” Maribel chastises.

“What’s the harm in asking?” He defends.

Brittany gives Maribel and Santana an assuring smile before responding, “It would be kind of silly, wouldn’t it? I have other interests too that I can fall back on if football doesn’t work out for me.”

“Like?”

“Papi,” Santana begs.

But again, Brittany isn’t too bothered. This time she’s the one to give Santana an inconspicuous squeeze to her knee.

“I do pretty well in math and science,” Brittany answers, “I got a near perfect score on my SAT too. I only struggle with English but Santana helps me with that. She’s a really great tutor.”

“Thanks,” Santana grins.

“College isn’t just about playing football,” Brittany adds, “I doubt I’ll be getting into the NFL so I do have other plans. I’ve always loved animals; one of my other dreams is to be a vet or marine biologist. Someone who helps those that can’t help themselves, you know?”

Hector looks surprisingly impressed by Brittany’s answer.

“Are we done with the 21 questions now?” Santana quips which earns her a glare from her mom this time.

“I’m just curious,” Hector replies as he cracks a smile for the first time, “Small town, Brittany, everyone knows everyone. It’s rare that I come across someone new.”

“You work in Cincinnati,” Santana retorts, "You meet new people all the time.”

Brittany can tell Santana’s getting more and more wound up for some reason, so she moves to diffuse the situation before Santana can get herself into anymore trouble with her parents.

“It’s okay,” Brittany shrugs, “I don’t mind.”

“See?” Hector waves his hand, “We’re just talking. It’s important to have conversations about options when it comes to college.”

“Is it now?” Santana asks sarcastically, “I wouldn’t know. Seems like your mind was pretty made up when it came to my _options_.”

Brittany’s brows rise at that tone and her gaze averts right to her plate.

“Who needs options when you’re Harvard-bound?” Hector questions, “There’s no better university.”

“Maybe to you.”

Hector looks taken aback, “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying – “

“Let’s not do this here,” Maribel interrupts.

There’s that familiar motherly tone that makes Brittany’s neck hairs stand on end, but she peeks up to see Santana and Hector standing off through glares while Maribel is giving them one of her own.

Out of the three, Maribel’s is the scariest.

Santana backs down first with a mumbled, “Sorry.”

Hector only takes in a deep breath while Maribel smiles again at Brittany.

“Forgive us, Brittany,” She says.

“It’s cool,” Brittany smiles before chancing a glance in Santana’s direction. The girl is still fuming in silence and Brittany wants nothing more than to comfort her.

“We’ll talk about this later,” Hector says lowly.

“Fine,” Santana huffs.

\\\

Thankfully, Hector and Maribel dismiss themselves shortly after and Santana’s left to clean up. Brittany tags along to offer her a hand, but they don’t make any small talk. She can see that Santana’s stuck in her head, but Brittany can understand why. After such a short lunch, she’s starting to see why Santana struggles so much with being herself and owning her feelings.

“I’m sorry about him,” Santana mentions awhile later after the dishes are done.

Brittany tries to make light of it, “I haven’t been grilled like that in awhile.”

“Yeah,” Santana shakes her head, “He isn’t usually like that, but if it’s any consolation you did a lot better than when Puck came over for the first time. You should’ve seen my dad’s face when Puck told him about his plans for college.”

“Why?”

“Puck doesn’t have any,” Santana chuckles, “Afterwards my dad told me I wasn’t allowed to see him anymore.”

Brittany’s eyes widen, “You two dated?”

“I wouldn’t really call it that.”

“Oh.”

“It’s whatever. That was before everything happened,” Santana shrugs before she starts to smirk, “So you never told me you used to cheer.”

“You never asked,” Brittany replies jokingly, “The coach at my old school let me join after the football season finished up. I did that for a year before I decided to stick to training in the off season and work.”

“ _And_ you had a job?”

“Yeah,” Brittany laughs, “I made smoothies at this one place. I got free drinks whenever I wanted so that was pretty cool.”

“I’ve never had a job,” Santana admits, “My dad won’t let me.”

Brittany chuckles, “Why am I not surprised by that?”

Santana sends her a playful glare before asking, “So why’d you quit cheering?”

“It’s boring.”

“Boring?” Santana laughs out of disbelief.

“Yeah, it didn’t really challenge me,” Brittany shrugs.

“But the stunts?”

“I’ve already done gymnastics so nothing new to me.”

Santana gives her a look for that, “You must’ve not had the right kind of Captain. “

“You think so?” Brittany raises her brow challengingly.

“I know so,” Santana smirks and slides a little closer, “I can promise you’d never get bored on my squad.”

Brittany bites her lip at the sound of Santana’s flirty tone but she puts some distance between them. After all, they’re still in Santana’s kitchen and who knows where Maribel and Hector are.

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?” Santana asks innocently.

Brittany narrows her eyes although she can’t help but smile, “Flirt with me.”

“I didn’t realize I was.”

“Well, you were and you can’t do that right now,” Brittany says before drying her hands, “I came here because I’m mad at you, but… I guess that was before I knew you were grounded so I can’t really be mad anymore.”

Santana looks confused, “Wait…you’re mad at me? Why?”

Brittany turns away, “It sounds silly now.”

Santana softens at Brittany’s sudden shyness, “Tell me.”

“Well, I thought you were ignoring me on purpose,” Brittany admits guiltily, “You said we would talk soon and then I went two days without hearing from you and…at first I was worried and then I got kind of angry. I thought you might have had…second thoughts.”

“Oh,” Santana breathes out and combs her fingers through her long dark hair, “I’m sorry. Like I said, it happened really quickly – I couldn’t send out a warning or anything.”

“I get that now,” Brittany nods, “Especially after that lunch.”

“Yeah,” Santana says sadly, “I should get my phone back soon, maybe later today if my mom has anything to do with it.”

“Okay,” Brittany replies, “Then maybe we can talk about what we’re doing?”

Santana sighs, “Britt…this is still really new for me. My family isn’t like yours and I’m not like you.”

Brittany starts to frown, “I know that.”

“So you have to stop pressuring me,” Santana replies. 

“Santana,” Brittany sighs as she takes one of her hands, “I wasn’t trying to pressure you, I just don’t want you to get comfortable in hiding who you are.”

Judging by the surprised look on Santana’s face, Brittany’s not sure if she’s just crossed a line she shouldn’t have. She wasn’t trying to be rude, if anything she cares way too much and she just wants Santana to know that.

“I’m sorry,” Brittany says in a softer tone as she runs her thumb over the back of Santana’s hand, “I just…I know how hard it is to venture out of your comfort zone – especially when it comes to this stuff – and I feel like that’s exactly what you were doing. You were getting comfortable with hiding us and with the way I feel about you and knowing how you feel about me…I don’t want to do that.”

Santana looks a little guilty as she nods, “I don’t want to either.”

“I like you,” Brittany admits around a timid grin as she lets go of Santana’s hand, “I really like you and I like kissing you and being around you, but I can only be patient and wait for so long. I’m not asking you to have everything figured out, because who does at our age?”

“Like, no one.”

“Exactly.”

Santana gives her small smile, “There’s that infamous Pierce wisdom again.”

Brittany lifts her shoulder casually at the compliment while Santana just stares at the blonde with this serene look on her face. It kind of makes Brittany feel see-through but in a good way. The kind of way that has her going out on a limb here and voicing exactly what she wants for them.

Brittany nervously bites her lip, “I guess what I’m trying to say is that I think you and I are awesome together and I wouldn’t mind figuring out stuff with you.”

Santana looks like she’s about to melt into a puddle as she says, “Brittany.”

The blonde has never heard her name sound so pretty, but she guesses it helps when there’s a gorgeous girl saying it. It makes her feel tingly all over and she can’t help but grin.

“We won’t have to label it yet if you don’t want to,” Brittany rambles, “I mean, I’d love to call you my girlfriend because I think it kinda has a nice ring to it but I don’t want to pressure you. I just need to know whether or not we’re an _us_ or still _Santana_ and _Brittany._ ”

Santana flutters her thick lashes as she looks up at Brittany with this look of pure adoration.

“Did you just ask me to be your girlfriend?” Santana asks around a small smile.

Brittany lets out a nervous chuckle as she squeezes the back of her neck, “I think I did – which I didn’t plan on doing but I’m not taking it back now.”

“Good,” Santana replies and that makes Brittany’s smile widen, “I don’t want you to.”

Brittany bites her bottom lip to keep from beaming, “So does that mean…”

Santana giggles as she tugs a little on the bottom of Brittany’s shirt and pulls her in even closer. Her expression turns solemn and Brittany’s smile falters, unsure if that’s a good or bad sign. 

“I can’t promise you that I won’t say the wrong thing again or I won’t disappoint you,” Santana says, “You know I’m still a work in progress and I wish that meant that you didn’t have to worry about me back stepping or getting scared, but I really don’t know.”

Brittany looks worried but she tries to mask it with an, “Okay.”

“But…I can try to be better,” Santana adds sounding a lot more hopeful, “I _want_ to be better. Like I’ve said before, I want to be someone you deserve to be with and if we’re going to do this thing for real then it’s time that I put in the work to show you that. I’ve never really been a great girlfriend in the past, but with you – there’s nothing I want more.”

The overwhelming relief that washes over Brittany is unmatched and all she wants to do is wrap Santana up in the tightest hug ever and kiss her silly, but she’s so surprised by the turn of events that all she can do is stand there and stare dopily.

“Okay,” Brittany says again behind her grin.

Santana laughs before looking around hesitantly. After a glance around the kitchen, she’s rolling up on her tippy toes to place a chaste kiss to Brittany’s cheek. The move surprises the quarterback but she smiles anyway.

“I’m taking that as a yes?” Brittany jokes.

“It’s definitely a yes,” Santana giggles and Brittany can’t stop staring at how cute her dimples are when she’s smiling so brightly. She wants to do everything in her power to make Santana smile like that more often – hopefully she can – but then she sees the time displayed on the microwave and suddenly frowns.

“Crap! I should get going,” Brittany says in a hurry, “I’m supposed to pick up Pete from my grandparents’ house in like five minutes. They’re hosting poker at their place tonight.”

Santana quirks a brow, “Poker?”

“Yeah,” Brittany answers casually, “Pretend you didn’t hear that though. I’m not really supposed to say. My mom doesn’t like when they gamble.”

Santana chuckles at that, “Okay then, let me walk you out.”

As she leads the way, they pass Maribel reading in the living room alone. The woman glances up at them and smiles.

“You heading home now, Brittany?” Maribel asks.

“Almost. I have to pick up my little brother first,” Brittany replies, “Thank you for lunch.”

“Of course, any time!”

“I’m just going to walk Brittany to the car,” Santana says to which Maribel only nods with this knowing smile. It makes Brittany wonder what that is but soon Santana’s nudging her out the door and closing it behind them.

“Geez, can’t get rid of me soon en – “

The closes just in time for Santana to steal a kiss. It catches Brittany off guard but she smiles into anyway, hoping it lasts a little longer than the peck on her cheek in the kitchen.

“I couldn’t do that in there,” Santana explains when she pulls away, “Not yet.”

“Not yet,” Brittany grins, “We can wait awhile to do that in front of your parents. Your dad kind of scares me a little. Actually, your mom does too.”

Santana chuckles, “So could I call you later? You know, if I get my phone back tonight?”

“Sure!”

“Okay cool,” Santana nods happily, “Well…have a safe drive.”

“I will,” Brittany winks before walking to her car. She buckles in and waves one last time to Santana before heading off.

\\\\\\\\\

Santana’s heart is a little heavy when she heads back inside despite what just happened in her kitchen. The pure joy and happiness she feels for finally clearing things up with Brittany is great, but it’s not enough to overshadow the impending doom since she opened her big mouth during lunch. Santana has felt this particular storm brewing for some time now and all she has is her attitude to thank for it to finally happen.

Maribel glances from her book when the front door closes and Santana instantly feels her shoulders sink beneath the weight of what’s to come.

Why couldn’t she have bit her tongue like always? Why’d she have to do this _now_ of all times?

There’s this sympathetic look on Maribel’s face as she sets the book aside.

“Brittany’s a sweet girl,” Maribel mentions like any talk of Brittany is some sort of ice breaker for Santana.

It kind of is now; it’s hard not to smile when the blonde crosses Santana’s mind.

“The sweetest,” Santana agrees bashfully before joining her mom on the couch.

They sit there in silence for a moment and Santana’s not sure what Maribel’s going to say next. Talk of Brittany wasn’t her first choice, but she rather that than the latter – at least while it’s just them sitting there.

“So are you two…a couple?” Maribel asks hesitantly.

Santana’s first instinct is to lie and she really considers going through with it, but she doesn’t. She has to do things differently this time – for her and for Brittany. With Maribel, Santana finds a little comfort and pushes her boundaries.

“Kind of.”

Santana’s answer makes Maribel look back at her quizzically.

“Kind of?” Maribel asks, “That was a _yes_ or _no_ question.”

Santana blushes as she stammers out, “Yes. Yes, we are.”

Maribel smiles proudly, “When did that happen?”

“Just a little while ago,” Santana can’t help but smile, “While we were doing the dishes.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Santana’s grin turns bashful, “I…I really like her, Mami. I’ve liked her for awhile now.”

“I can see why. She seems like a great girl,” Maribel winks, “What took you two so long?”

Santana knows Maribel was only joking but it makes her start to frown. She knows she isn’t the easiest person to be with and it takes a special kind of patience to stick it out for as long as Brittany has, but that doesn’t make her feel any less guilty about it.

“It’s complicated,” Santana ends up saying.

Maribel nods like she understands, but Santana doubts she really does.

That’s not on her though, that’s on Santana because she makes every conversation about her feelings so difficult. She’s not sure when the wires got crossed and everything started to feel like pulling teeth to her, but it’s been like this for years and she hates it. It’s like being honest with herself and her feelings meant going against this image she has created over the years.

Santana hates how she has played this role for so long – has tried to live up to everyone’s expectations – that she doesn’t know who she is anymore. Did she ever even know in the first place? The crazy thing is though, with Brittany she can see theses glimpses of her true self – the person she wishes she could be all the time if no one cared about reputations or sexuality. 

Her feelings for Brittany came so easily, it was like the moment she laid eyes on the blonde at Puck’s End of Summer party that was it. Santana was hooked then and there. She didn’t expect Brittany to have that kind of effect on her, but here she is a few months later wanting to be the best version of herself…just so she can be someone Brittany deserves.

And really, it sounds like the biggest task in the world. To sort through everything that makes up Santana and pick out what’s real and what isn’t so that she can finally be herself…it’s a lot. But, she’s making some progress when it comes to her love life and that’s half of the battle. The other half is about her future and she has only begun to voice her true feelings.

Santana picks at a thread that has come loose on her sweater and wonders aloud.

“Is Papi angry with me about what I said?”

There’s a quiet sigh from the opposite end of the couch before Maribel answers, “He’s surprised.”

Santana bites her lip, unsure if that really answers her question. Judging by Hector’s reaction and how abruptly her parents left after lunch, it doesn’t look good for her.

“You should talk to him though,” Maribel adds, “He won’t begin to understand you if you don’t.”

Santana lets out a dry laugh and Maribel quirks her brow at that.

“What’s so funny?”

Santana only shrugs, “I’m just not in the mood for another lecture.”

Maribel straightens up as Santana continues.

“I don’t know how many times I can apologize for things that I’m not actually sorry about,” Santana says, “I wasn’t really sorry for breaking JBI’s camera or starting that fight with those jerks on the football team and I’m not sorry for wanting to go somewhere other than Harvard. I’m not, Mami, and I can’t go up there if an apology is what he wants from me.”

“That is exactly why you need to talk to him. Tell him what you just told me,” Maribel replies before scooting closer to Santana, “Mija, you should never apologize for standing up for yourself. Granted, there’s a certain way to go about it that doesn’t involve your fists or football players three times your size…”

Santana ducks her head, “I’m really working on it.”

“I know you are,” Maribel replies, “But he doesn’t and that’s only because you talk to me more often than you talk to your father.”

Santana crosses her arms protectively over her chest, “He’s so hard to talk to.”

“Doesn’t mean you stop trying.”

“Tell that to him.”

“Go tell him yourself.”

Santana looks wide-eyed at her mom, “Seriously?”

Maribel only reaches for her book, “Yes, seriously.”

“But,” Santana stammers, “He never wants to hear what I have to say and I’m not trying to be grounded for the rest of my life.”

Maribel only chuckles, “You won’t be.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because,” Maribel replies, “One conversation between you two where _you_ actually say what you mean and _he_ actually listens will work wonders and I think now’s the perfect time for that to happen. I think you’re both ready to have that talk.”

Santana bites her lip nervously, “What if it doesn’t work out?”

Maribel looks to Santana and gives her this sympathetic smile, “Then he isn’t the man I married and this might be an even bigger problem than I thought.”

Santana’s brows rise at that but she doesn’t say anything more, just sits there in silence mulling over whether or not she’s brave enough to actually face her dad. With everything currently on her plate, she doesn’t think she’s ready. If anything, she’s drained and thinking about having to go up to Hector’s office and have this talk just makes her feel even more exhausted.

Maribel watches Santana hesitate in leaving and reaches over to pat her ankle, “You don’t have to talk to him today, but don’t leave things unsaid for too much longer. The sooner, the better.”

Santana nods, wondering where she’s heard _that_ before.

\\\\\\\\\

Later that night, Brittany’s sprawled out on her bed watching footage of Carmel High’s Championship game from last year. She wants to be more than prepared for their upcoming game in two weeks’ time so putting in this extra work will hopefully help.

Brittany’s about halfway through when her phone starts to ring on her nightstand. She glances to it, not expecting to see the name that pops up and quickly scrambles to answer the call.

“Well, look who got their phone back!”

Santana chuckles down the line, “ _Yup! I’m officially a free woman…again.”_

“Awesome,” Brittany beams as she rolls onto her back and stares up at the ceiling.

She has been thinking about Santana since the moment she left the Lopez residence. This is her _girlfriend_ and even though she has yet to say the title out loud, just thinking it makes the butterflies in her stomach go crazy. 

_“How’d the rest of your day go?”_

Brittany tries to recall the past few hours, “Well, Pete kicked my butt in Monopoly. The kid is pretty ruthless, I wonder if he’ll be some big shot business tycoon when he’s older.”

_“That’s cute.”_

Brittany feels like blushing, “How about yours?”

 _“It went okay,”_ Santana hesitates for a moment, _“I told my mom about us.”_

“You did?” Brittany’s eyes widen and she can’t hide the surprise in her voice.

_“Yeah, is that okay? She asked if we were a couple after you left…I didn’t want to lie.”_

A smile stretches across Brittany’s face, “Yeah, that’s totally okay! I wasn’t sure if you wanted to tell people yet or…you know.”

 _“Well, I’m trying out being honest for a change,”_ Santana replies, _“I figure if I have such an amazing girlfriend, why hide it?”_

Brittany’s jaw drops and she’s so glad that Santana can’t actually see her right now because she must be a sight to see. She tries to play off being so blindsided by Santana’s glimmer of confidence by moving along the conversation.

“Sorry about leaving so suddenly earlier,” Brittany apologizes.

_“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”_

“So…Harvard, huh?” Brittany mentions, “I didn’t know you wanted to go there.”

 _“I don’t,”_ Santana answers with a chuckle.

“Oh,” Brittany moves to sit up against her headboard wondering if this was the right topic to switch to, “Is that why lunch got weird when we started talking about college?”

 _“Kind of_ ,” Santana sighs, _“I haven’t told my dad yet and I probably should’ve instead of the way I brought it up today. I’m supposed to be a doctor like most in my family and Harvard is where they’ve all gone. It’s kind of tradition.”_

Brittany frowns, “So traditions aren’t just a Lima thing?”

 _“Not really, at least when it comes to my family,”_ Santana explains, _“It’s a legacy thing.”_

“Is that what you want to do?” Brittany wonders, “Be a doctor too?”

_“I’m not sure anymore. I feel like I have to redeem myself for all the crap I’ve put them through and going to Harvard is the guaranteed way to do that.”_

“But that’s not fair to you,” Brittany replies, “Especially if it’s not something you really want, or is it?”

Santana lets out a tired sigh, _“I’ve spent so much of my life being told what I wanted that I can’t tell if it’s what I really want or what I’m just conditioned to want. I mean, I like helping people but I don’t see myself being a dermatologist like my Dad. Number one, it kind of grosses me out and two…I think it’s boring.”_

Brittany giggles at that, “So is there anything else that _does_ interest you? What about one of those kid doctors?”

 _“Me? Dealing with kids?”_ Santana lets out a bellyaching laugh, _“Not a chance in hell, even if I’m making bank while doing it.”_

Brittany finds herself grinning at the sound of Santana loosening up, “Why not?”

_“I’m not really the best with kids.”_

“Liar,” Brittany teases, “You’re great with Pete!”

_“That’s because Pete isn’t like other kids, he’s actually cool. Sick kids can be brats and I’m not down to listen to all that whining.”_

Brittany shakes her head and laughs, “Well, from personal experience I think you’d make a great doctor if that’s what you want to be. You’ve taken great care of me a bunch of times.”

 _“Thanks Britt,”_ Santana says and the blonde can practically hear the smile she probably wears, _“What about you? Any schools your mom is forcing onto you in order to uphold the family legacy?”_

“No family legacy here,” Brittany chuckles, “But Ohio State would be cool if I could get a scholarship for football, especially if those scouts looking at me back in Florida don’t pull through.”

“ _So that’s where you’re from,”_ Santana jokes, “ _You’ve never said.”_

“Really? I swore I have.”

_“No, but it does explain a lot.”_

Brittany quirks her brow, “Does it?”

 _“Definitely. I was thought there was this different air about you,”_ Santana explains, _“It’s probably because you’re one of the few people here who have actually seen the ocean.”_

“Wait,” Brittany chuckles, “You’ve never seen the ocean?”

_“Nope. I’ve lived in Lima all of my life, never really left either.”_

“That’s so crazy!” Brittany gasps, “I don’t think I’ve ever met someone that hasn’t seen the ocean. I didn’t realize how much I’d miss it now that I can’t go to the beach anymore. It used to be my favorite place, everyone has to experience it at some point in their life.”

_“Then I guess I’ll have to check it.”_

Brittany softens as she imagines Santana and how she might react. She thinks about the cheek-bunching smile she’d wear and the sound of her laughter mixing in with the sea breeze. She imagines her being so carefree for once in her life and it makes Brittany smile.

“Maybe I’ll take you one day?” Brittany finds herself saying.

Santana doesn’t say anything for a moment and Brittany wonders if maybe she crossed a line or something? _One day_ hints at a future together, maybe even one that lasts longer than the school year since taking trips to the beach isn’t something they could do during the weekend.

Waiting for a response makes Brittany’s heart thud, but soon Santana speaks up. 

_“I could be down with that.”_

“Yeah?” Brittany grins.

_“As long as you’re my tour guide, it sounds like fun.”_

Brittany bites her lip at that, once again super thankful that Santana can’t see how her words can turn Brittany into mush.

“Sweet. So,” Brittany hums as she sinks down into her pillows, “What else did you get up to after I left?”

“ _Not much,”_ Santana answers, _“Just finishing up some work before school starts up again. My parents went to my Abuela’s house, they’re still there so they must be having a good time.”_

Brittany can swear she hears sadness in Santana’s tone, “How come you didn’t go too?”

Santana doesn’t answer right away and Brittany wonders if maybe she has breached a touchy subject. Before she can try and change the subject though, Santana answers.

_“I’m not exactly welcome there anymore.”_

Brittany isn’t sure what to say.

_“She’s not very…accepting. We haven’t spoken since I came out to her. It didn’t really end well for me and clearly she isn’t interested in making amends so…”_

Brittany can tell Santana’s trying to be nonchalant about this but the sadness is so evident. It just breaks Brittany’s heart and all she wants to do right now is wrap her arms around Santana, to make her feel safe and wanted.

“I’m so sorry,” Brittany replies softly, “I didn’t mean to pry.”

_“Don’t be sorry. We’re talking, you’re allowed to ask questions.”_

“I know, but I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“ _You aren’t. I promise, if you cross a line then I’ll just hang up on you.”_

Brittany gasps but softens when she hears Santana’s cute little giggle.

“Not funny,” Brittany smirks as she turns off her bedside light. Now the light of her alarm clock is the only glow in the room.

_“Kind of is.”_

Brittany shakes her head, her eyelids feeling a little heavier than before, “You should’ve texted me earlier or something. I could’ve invited you over for Monopoly, really test Petey’s skills.”

Santana chuckles, _“Maybe next time.”_

“Maybe,” Brittany accidentally says through a yawn.

 _“You sound tired,”_ Santana mentions, _“Losing is hard work, isn’t it?”_

Brittany giggles sleepily, “In most cases I’d say I wouldn’t know, but since we’re talking about Monopoly…yeah, it really is.”

Santana laughs at that, _“Do you want me to let you go so you can get some sleep then?”_

Brittany rolls onto her side and snuggles into her pillows, “Not really.”

_“But you’re tired, you should sleep.”_

“I know, but I like talking to you more.”

_“More than sleep? Aren’t I special?”_

“Duh,” Brittany giggles, “I will gladly lose sleep over you.”

 _“Okay,”_ Santana laughs too, “ _How can I argue with such a smooth talker?”_

“You can’t,” Brittany teases; she isn’t even trying to keep her eyes open anymore, “Can you stay here until I fall asleep?”

 _“Sure Britt,”_ Santana replies softly, _“It doesn’t sound like you’re too far off.”_

“It’s been a long day,” Brittany mentions tiredly.

“ _Yeah?”_

“Mhmm, but it’s ending way better than it started.”

Santana hums happily, _“So… what do I talk about if I know you’re falling asleep?”_

“We don’t have to talk,” Brittany chuckles weakly, “Do whatever you were doing before you called and I’ll just listen?”

_“Oh, okay then.”_

There’s a long pause and Brittany nearly falls asleep, but then she hears the melodic sounds of piano keys followed by a familiar voice singing so beautifully.

At first, Brittany perks up a little wanting to make sure that she isn’t hearing things – that Santana really is singing to her. She’s only ever heard Santana a couple times before and she usually stops when she realizes someone is listening, but it’s not like that now.

Santana doesn’t care about someone listening because she is singing just for her.

And wow, what a voice!

It’s like rolling thunder with a warmth that reminds her of a crackling bonfire; Brittany hasn’t heard anything like it. She can only smile as she lays her phone down on the pillow next to her, trying her hardest to will herself to stay awake even longer just so she can continue to listen to Santana’s beautiful voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Sorry this took forever but better late than never, right? Thank you all for being patient. Not sure how I feel about this chapter but I'm sure you'll let me know if I've lost my touch LOL.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy (early) 6th Brittanaversary! Feels like it was just yesterday that we were collectively losing our minds over these two getting hitched. I really wanted to write up something separate to celebrate the day, but apparently all I could come up with was an update for this story LOL. Enjoy!

It’s the first day back to school after the short Thanksgiving break and Santana is as anxious as ever as she pulls into the Student Parking lot. School has been out since the football game against Crawford County and she knows everyone’s bound to be talking about how she ran out on the field for Brittany. She’s hoping that the buzz will have died down by now, but who knows – when it comes to drama, this town has a hard time forgetting.

After everything that happened with Bree and JBI, it’s hard for Santana to not feel paranoid that everyone knows about her and Brittany’s relationship now even if she hasn’t told anyone other than her mom. She hasn’t even told Quinn yet, but that feeling of everyone staring at her again and whispering whatever they want about her is a hard one to shake.

Although Santana can acknowledge it, she still struggles with letting that feeling take over versus simply not giving a single fuck about what anyone has to say.

All morning she has been trying to remember what everyone keeps telling her – that she isn’t in this alone and there’s a lot more people who care about her than she knows. Her hands still tremble a little though as she reaches for her make up bag and starts to apply mascara to her lashes.

Who cares if she wanted to kick Azimio and Karofsky’s asses? She doubts she’s the only one who thinks they deserve it! Who cares if she looked a little crazy running out on the field like that? She thought Brittany was seriously hurt, anyone with a heart would’ve done the same!

It’s an easy argument to win when it comes to hashing it out in her head, but it’s a different story when it actually happens and that’s what worries her. She can just picture JBI trying to get some type of statement out of her while also making ridiculous claims. She can’t punch him in the face – although she’s sure she’d be doing the entire school a favor – because she’s on thin ice with Principal Figgins and she definitely doesn’t need even more reason for her dad to hate her.

Somehow, she has to maintain a level head when she walks through those doors this morning. But her? Keeping a level head? Santana’s never been level-headed in her whole life!

Once she finishes with her lashes, Santana leans back and stares herself down in the rear view mirror. The girl looking back has been through hell – and as tired as she is – her journey isn’t over just yet. It’s only a matter of whether or not Santana can remember how strong she actually is, how resilient, how brave.

Santana takes a deep breath and digs around for lip gloss in her make up bag; embracing herself and being confident about it is a lot more easier said than done but she’s just going to have to deal with it.

Suddenly a car pulls up next to Santana’s and the Co-Captain glances in its direction. She’s not all that surprised by the signature mega-watt smile Brittany’s wearing as she slides off her sunglasses and gives Santana a little wave. For a moment, those scary anxious feelings that have plagued Santana all morning are momentarily replaced by a warmth, a fluttery feeling, that only her girlfriend seems to give her.

Her _girlfriend_ ; Santana can’t help but smile. With Brittany by her side, Santana always feels a little different. It’s like she stands taller, her chin is held higher and she feels more like herself.

Maybe this first day back to school won’t be so bad? After all, doesn’t have to do this alone.

\\\\\\\\\

After leaning over to grab her bookbag from the passenger seat, Brittany hops out of her car. Santana’s just now doing the same and Brittany rests against her hood as she waits, taking advantage of the warmth there as she folds her arms over her chest.

She has been thinking about this moment since the night she feel asleep listening to Santana sing; what will their first day back to McKinley as a couple be like and how will they handle it? Would Santana want Brittany to keep her distance at first? Are they allowed to hold hands? Is PDA off the table?

Brittany’s been wondering, but her questions never made it into their conversations so now she just stands there trying not to be awkward as she watches Santana.

“Thought you didn’t like wearing your letterman jacket when it isn’t Game Day?” Santana quips as she pulls on her bookbag.

Brittany rolls her eyes at the playful jab, “It’s the coldest morning ever, I had to.”

“You say that about every morning.”

“Lima keeps exceeding my expectations.”

“That’s probably the first time anyone’s ever said that,” Santana jokes.

Brittany chuckles as Santana comes to stand next to her and it’s enough to ease some of the tension she feels in her shoulders. She always forgets about their little height difference, anytime she sees Santana walking the halls towards her it’s like she’s larger than life with the way she carries herself. For the most part, Santana always oozes confidence but Brittany knows deep down it’s not always like that.

“Actually, I might’ve worn it for a little protection too,” Brittany admits bashfully, “Apparently this jacket is like armor here.”

“Really?” Santana raises her brow, “Thought you didn’t believe in that stuff?”

“I don’t,” Brittany shrugs, “But I figured it wouldn’t hurt to play along for today. Maybe it works in the same way a good luck charm does?”

Santana nods, but it’s far too serious for Brittany’s liking when it’s this early in the day. So she takes a risk and wraps her arm around Santana’s shoulders and there’s a brief moment where she wonders if Santana will push her away.

The exact opposite happens though; Santana leans in and it’s like they collectively relax.

“Besides,” Brittany says softly as she looks down at Santana, “I think it’s kind of cool how we’re living up to the stereotype of the whole _star quarterback dates super hot Co-Captain_ while also breaking that stereotype because we’re both girls.”

Santana does that little shy smile Brittany’s grown to really love.

“Well this place _does_ love tradition,” Santana says.

“And we’ve found the perfect loophole!”

“Sheer genius,” Santana chuckles and for a moment it looks like she’s about to kiss Brittany but she holds back as the first bell interrupts them. Crowds of students start to congregate by the main entrances as the parking lot empties.

“We should get going,” Santana notes, “I still need to go to my locker.”

“Yeah,” Brittany nods, “Me too.”

Brittany walks alongside Santana as they make their way to the entrance. The closer they get, the more students they cross. Some greet them politely, some give them curious looks, but most pat Brittany on the back for an incredible game on Wednesday. It’s like any other morning to Brittany, but with one glance in Santana’s direction she can see that it isn’t the same for the Co-Captain.

The changes in Santana’s demeanor are subtle and it would really take a trained eye to see that she’s actually pretty nervous, but Brittany’s gotten better at spotting those changes the more time she spends with Santana. She wishes there was something she could do to make Santana feel like the spotlight on them isn’t really as bright as she’s thinking it is, but Brittany also doesn’t want to do anything that would make Santana uncomfortable.

If anything, she just wants to remind Santana that she’s here for her.

So Brittany takes another leap of faith and gently brushes her knuckles against Santana’s. It’s this unspoken offer and Brittany accompanies it with a smile in her direction just to let Santana know that there aren’t any hard feelings if she doesn’t want to accept just yet.

Santana relaxes just the same as she did by their cars before she accepts the offer and links her pinky with Brittany’s.

\\\

As the day goes on, Brittany quickly realizes that last week’s win has really shifted things for the Titans. If she felt like the campus celebrity before, it’s even worse now! Endless people approach her throughout the day to congratulate her or express their hatred for Carmel High and how they can’t wait to see her and the Titans finally put them in their place after so many years of being on top.

Brittany doesn’t think she’ll ever get over how intense this rivalry between the schools actually is, but she takes it all in stride. She tries her hardest to spread the admiration because _it was a team effort_ but it doesn’t seem like it’s working. The Titans aren’t all that annoyed by it though, because they get their fair share of people fawning over them too.

Again, small towns are so weird when it comes to rivalries and a winning football team.

But it isn’t only positive attention Brittany and the Titans are gaining, the Puck Heads have renewed their hatred for them as well. The hockey team continues its losing streak this season and the more attention Brittany and Titans receive, the angrier the hockey team seems to get.

As always, Brittany doesn’t usually pay them any mind but she can feel the tension between the teams worsen as the day continues. Before, they’d clash maybe once a week – twice at the most – but Rick and his crew have already made their presence known several times in just one day.

It’s not exactly what she needs when she really wants to focus on making sure Santana is okay, but it seems like their relationship has taken a back seat with how much attention the school is putting on football.

Whether that is a good thing or not, Brittany isn’t sure yet.

\\\

By lunchtime, Brittany’s a little over the buzz.

People have been trailing behind her like baby ducks and they crowd her locker like it’s a star on the Walk of Fame. It’s all too weird and what makes matters even worse is that with so many people crowding her all the time, she’s barely seen Santana since this morning.

Even the lunch ladies give her extra helpings without asking! Although, she’s not too annoyed about that one.

As she approaches the register, Brittany’s just about to pay when a student cuts the line and has his wallet out already.

“I’ll pay for you lunch today, Brittany!” He says enthusiastically.

Brittany looks uncertain but forces a smile, “That’s okay. I have my own money.”

“I know, but it’s the least I can do for ending the Playoffs drought,” He replies, “I didn’t think I’d ever get to go to a Championship game but you changed that.”

Brittany only stares as the rest of the line starts to get antsy about the hold up.

“Well, alright then,” Brittany shrugs, “Thanks.”

The kid happily hands over his money and Brittany thanks him one more time before getting the hell out of there. She heads to her usual table in hopes of avoiding anymore weirdness. When she sets down her tray, it lands a little harder than she would’ve liked and Kurt, Mercedes and Tina all look to her worriedly.

“You okay?” Kurt asks.

Brittany slumps down in her seat and twists open the cap of her juice, “Yeah, sorry. Everyone’s just being super weird today.”

“Hard being a Football Goddess?” Tina tries to joke but it goes completely over Brittany’s head.

“I’m already getting grief from the Puck Heads, I don’t need it from you guys too,” Brittany grumbles.

“Sorry,” Tina frowns, “I was just joking. It’s crazy how people get when it comes to winning here. I never really followed sports though so I don’t get the hype.”

“It’s very different from my old school, that’s for sure.”

The rest of the table leaves Brittany to eat her lunch in peace while they talk about whatever is going on in Glee Club. It’s a nice break to listen to something else other than how great she and the Titans are, but that break is short lived when she feels a tap on her shoulder.

She’s fully expecting it to be someone wanting her autograph again and she sets down her chicken patty and attempts to keep her cool.

“Look, I’m just trying to eat my lunch. I’ll sign whatever you want lat – “

“Easy Pierce, you think you’re some kind of celebrity?” Santana smirks as Brittany glances up at her.

Brittany’s face flushes as she quickly rambles out an apology, “I thought you were another fan.”

“Oh, I’m a _very_ big fan,” Santana jokes and the smile she wears is the best thing Brittany’s seen since this morning, “But I’ll wait to get my autograph like everyone else.”

She’s kind of swept up in Santana being there after the past few hours of being kept apart that she doesn’t notice Kurt, Mercedes and Tina all staring at them with these curious looks on their faces. In fact, they’ve gained the attention of several neighboring tables but Santana just keeps her eyes on Brittany.

“So, are you going to invite me to sit with you or?” Santana asks and Brittany can hear how she tries to make it sound so casual although she knows this is pretty huge for Santana to break ranks like this.

“You want to sit here?” Kurt’s jaw just about drops, “With us?”

“I’m not really here for the rest of you,” Santana quips as her gaze falls on Brittany. Her stiff shoulders ease and her expression softens, “But yeah.”

Brittany gives her a look, “You sure?”

Santana nods, “Unless you’re saving this seat for someone else?”

A smile stretches across Brittany’s face, “Nope! Let me move my stuff so you can sit.”

As she does so, Brittany catches a glimpse of Quinn watching from Santana’s usual table with the rest of the Cheerios. She wears the same kind of curious look Kurt, Mercedes and Tina wore and she’s wondering if Santana has spoken to her about their relationship yet.

“So, what’s everyone talking about?” Santana says as she tries to make conversation with people Brittany doubts she has ever spoken more than three words to. It makes her smile though to see Santana trying like this.

“Uhh, we were talking about our set list for Glee Club,” Tina answers.

“Glee Club?” Santana says as if she’s about to joke the hell out of them.

Brittany quickly nudges her from under the table and gives her a look that has Santana changing her tune almost instantly.

“Right, Glee Club. So…how’s that going?” Santana says in a friendlier tone.

“Well, Rachel wants a solo but Mercedes thinks she can do better,” Kurt adds like including Santana in Glee Club drama is completely normal.

“I know I can do better,” Mercedes says confidently.

“They’re going to have a Diva-Off on Friday,” Tina explains.

Santana looks blankly at them, “A what?”

“Diva-Off,” Brittany supplies casually, “It’s like a duel but with singing.”

“Sounds very…,” Santana struggles to find the word, “Intense?”

“It can be,” Kurt smirks, “Rachel and Mercedes are the biggest divas and that’s coming from me. It’s always a good show though.”

Santana nods to Mercedes as she opens her salad container, “I’ve heard you sing before, you can definitely take out the Hobbit. I mean, Berry. Fuck, I mean _Rachel_.”

Brittany presses her lips together to keep from laughing, same as everyone else. It’s the perfect ice breaker and the rest of lunch goes on just like that; easy conversations with friends that have nothing to do with her or football.

Best part? She gets to be with Santana too.

\\\

Once lunch finishes up, Brittany and Santana head to their lockers to grab their materials for the final class of the day but somewhere along the way they get split up once again by the crowd that gathers around the quarterback.

Everyone seems to want to be her friend or be around her because of the whole popularity food chain thing and it’s a lot for Brittany. She just wants to get to her locker, grab her books, and get to class but they’re making it so difficult for her. She doesn’t want to lash out at anyone because she knows they’re all genuinely excited about the win and the prospect of the Titans winning a Championship game against their biggest rival but seriously?

Brittany continues to be polite as she tries to get into her locker but there’s a bit of commotion as she faintly hears Santana’s voice. 

“This is fucking ridiculous,” Santana can be heard grumbling as she shoves her way through the crowd, “Don’t you people have somewhere to be? Give the girl some damn room to breathe!”

Brittany can just barely see the top of Santana’s high pony as she continues to make her way through.

“This is my locker too and if I can’t get to it within the next three seconds, someone is going to get hurt!”

Brittany watches as the crowd immediately starts to disperse, revealing a wickedly satisfied Santana in its midst. She has her arms crossed over her chest and this HBIC smirk on her face.

Brittany hasn’t seen anything hotter.

“You have got to start telling these people to fuck off, Britt,” Santana says tiredly as she puts in her combination, “You’re way too considerate.”

“Can’t I just have you as my personal crowd controller?” Brittany flirts.

Santana blushes before replying, “It’s your jacket. It’s like a homing beacon for everyone, they can easily find you now with that on.”

Brittany pouts, “I don’t think I can handle two weeks of this.”

“Not made for fame?” Santana jokes.

“I don’t think so,” Brittany sighs before closing up her locker, “This wasn’t how I planned today going.”

“What’d you have in mind?”

Brittany shrugs as they start to walk to class together, “Not this. I’ve barely seen you today.”

“Yeah, I know,” Santana nods sadly, “But it’s okay. We have next class together.”

“True. That was really cool how you sat with me at lunch though,” Brittany goes to bump her shoulder with Santana’s, “Maybe tomorrow I’ll sit with you at your table?”

“Sorry B, it’s Cheerios only,” Santana teases but Brittany only hears the new nickname she’s been given.

“You’re a Co-Captain,” Brittany replies, “I’m sure you can make an exception?”

“We’ll see,” Santana jokes, “I’ll have to talk to Quinn. Maybe put it to a vote.”

Brittany only giggles, “Speaking of Quinn, have you told her yet? About us?”

“It was more like she told me,” Santana answers, “She guessed it before I even said anything. I guess going to sit with you at lunch kind of gave it away though. I swear, nothing gets by her.”

Brittany laughs as they approach Miss Holliday standing outside their classroom greeting everyone that enters.

“What up, ladies!” Miss Holliday welcomes, “Hope you’ve had a good weekend?”

“Totally,” Brittany beams as she’s handed a warm-up activity.

Santana nods as she’s given one too, “Yeah. Can’t complain.”

“Awesome!” Miss Holliday grins as Santana and Brittany head on to their desk.

The two of them trade secret smiles as if it’s some inside joke before getting to work on their handouts. For this first time all day, Brittany finally feels some type of normalcy.

\\\

When the final bell rings, Brittany and Santana hop up from their seats and make their way to the locker room. With Santana’s little outburst from earlier, most people are a little hesitant to approach Brittany and the quarterback is so thankful for that. She’ll be interested to see how long that lasts though.

She just wants to savor what it’s like to walk the halls with Santana by her side. It’s not the first time they’ve done it, but it feels somewhat different now that they’re a couple – even if the rest of the school doesn’t quite know that yet.

Judging by how they’ve been treating her today, Brittany is kind of grateful that no one knows just yet. Imagine having to deal with the buzz around the win _and_ the reactions to their relationship, that would be a mess!

Still, Brittany appreciates all the baby steps Santana has taken today. She can tell how nervous Santana has been but she really surprised Brittany by joining her at lunch. Brittany definitely didn’t expect that on their first day.

“So I’ve got about fifteen minutes before I have to get ready for Cheerios practice,” Santana says as they enter the locker room as if Brittany doesn’t know her schedule by heart. There’s this cute bashfulness to her as she sets down her bookbag on the bench by her locker, “What do you wanna do?”

Brittany can’t help but glance over to the showers and is instantly reminded of the last time they were in here and what went on. If she really concentrates, she can still feel Santana’s lips ghosting along her jaw and Santana’s soft hands holding onto her bare waist. She remembers the way Santana sounded when she would whimper because Brittany would kiss certain spots or the way she breathed out Brittany’s name as if she was about to fall apart in her arms.

The memories make Brittany swallow hard and she quickly glances back to Santana in hopes that those thoughts simmer down, but Santana looks at her like she has just caught on to what Brittany was thinking about and the smirk she wears turns a little devilish.

“Nevermind,” Santana husks, “I think I know.”

Brittany bites her lip and shrugs off her bag to set down next to Santana’s. She can feel the tops of her ears going red hot and it’s sure to be a dead give away to how flustered she’s becoming. It’s embarrassing how quickly it has happened, but can you blame her? It was probably the hottest experience Brittany’s ever had in a locker room shower stall!

“Is there enough time?” Brittany asks, “Don’t want to get caught.”

“We’ve done pretty well so far,” Santana replies.

Brittany licks her lips in anticipation but she continues to stay rooted in her spot.

“Come here,” Santana says through a chuckle as she gives Brittany’s jacket a tug. It causes Brittany to take a step closer, just enough so that Santana can lean in and kiss her.

Brittany melts into it and wastes no time in draping her arms around Santana’s shoulders, pulling her in even closer. She has missed this; it’s been nothing but quick pecks and kisses on the cheek which are great but sometimes it just isn’t enough. The way Santana kisses her is a feeling like no other and Brittany wishes she could experience it all the time for the rest of her life.

After the initial shock of feeling Santana’s lips on hers again, Brittany gets a little bolder in her movements and starts to glide her hands from Santana’s shoulders down the curve of her back before settling low on her waist. She can remember when the uniform and jacket weren’t in the way, when she could feel Santana’s warmth radiating against her. There’s no time for that now, but Brittany _so_ wishes there was.

\\\

Miraculously, fifteen minutes go by in a flash and it takes everything for the both of them to pull apart. Their hair is a little mused and their lips slightly swollen, but the satisfied smiles they wear make up for all of it.

“You’re going to have to redo your high pony,” Brittany jokes as she twirls it around her finger.

Santana smirks as she pulls the tie out of her hair, “You should see yours.”

Brittany peers around Santana to look at herself in the tiny mirror hanging in Santana’s locker and starts to chuckle, “Looks like sex hair.”

“It’s kind of hot,” Santana flirts and Brittany lifts her brow.

“Oh yeah?”

“Mhmm.”

Brittany only stares as Santana finishes fixing her hair. She’s imagining all the things she wishes they could do if they didn’t have practice or even if they had a little more alone time.

“You’ve got to stop looking at me like that,” Santana warns playfully, “It’s taking everything in me not to kiss you again.”

“Come on,” Brittany teases as she goes to lean in, “I know you want to.”

Santana gives her a gentle push, “Go. I need to get ready for practice and you’re being very distracting.”

“Fine,” Brittany chuckles as she picks up her bag and heads to her side of the locker room, “If you need help _warming up_ , you know where to find me.”

“Yeah you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Santana calls out to her.

Brittany spins on her heels to give Santana a wink, “Duh.”

\\\

Titans practice is a stark contrast to her moment with Santana in the locker room. It’s all serious business as Coach Beiste goes on about how important these next two weeks will be when it comes to preparing for the big game against Carmel High.

Brittany’s no stranger to this, but for the other players it’s all new and she’s wildly impressed by how serious everyone’s being about training hard. For a lot of them – including Brittany – this will be the last high school game they’ll ever play and they want to make it count.

“If we pull this off, we’ll go down in McKinley history as the greatest football team ever!” Finn say proudly.

Brittany quirks a brow; she’s not super familiar with the team’s history but the _greatest ever?_ She can’t tell if he’s exaggerating or what.

“Hell yeah, dude,” Puck bumps his fist with Finn’s, “We can finally put the Puck Heads in their place. Football rules the school, no way they can still talk shit when we win this game!”

“Puckerman,” Coach Beiste warns but several of the players get riled up anyway.

Brittany looks around her and frowns. She doesn’t want the Titans’ rivalry with the hockey team to be a driving force behind winning. Tensions are already high as it is!

“We should focus on the game,” Brittany says, “Not some meaningless rivalry.”

“It’s not meaningless,” Puck replies, “Our reputation as top dogs of McKinley depend on it.”

“But why? We both play for the same school,” Brittany explains, “A win for us is a win for everyone so what’s the problem?”

“The problem is they’re dumb and can’t accept defeat,” Finn shrugs, “We’re better than them, it just hasn’t gotten through their thick skulls yet.”

“Always have been, always will be,” Puck adds.

Brittany lets out a sigh, “You’re missing the point here. We’re all on the same side, McKinley’s side.”

“Doesn’t matter to those guys,” Mike shrugs, “It’s like the better we are, the more they try to mess with us. They hate when we do better than them.”

“I nearly got into it with a few of them before lunch,” Matt says, “They’re picking fights over anything now.”

Brittany only shakes her head, “Just doesn’t make any sense.”

Kurt cuts in next, “It’s a lost cause, Britt. This rivalry is older than all of us. It just gets worse as the years go on.”

“That’s why we need to win this game,” Puck says, “It’ll put them in their place. Carmel _and_ those Puck Heads, it’s a two for one special.”

Fortunately, Coach Beiste reels everyone back in with a whistle blow and they’re off to do their usual warm-ups. For the time being, talk about rivalries is forgotten as they concentrating on practice. They really do gel well as a team and it’s great to see how far they’ve come as a cohesive unit, but there’s still the matter of Karofsky and Azimio and whether or not they purposely let Brittany get sacked.

There’s really no way to prove that they’re guilty but there isn’t a way to prove that they’re innocent either. Brittany just keeps a watchful eye on them, but she doubts they’d try anything again now that a few players have suspected they aren’t as loyal to the team as they thought.

That’s fine; everything will come to light eventually and she doesn’t really have time to investigate with this rivalry drama going on. Brittany just has to be patient and let karma do its thing. If Azimio and Karofsky were smart, they won’t try anything else and everyone can end the season on good terms.

\\\\\\\\\

The rest of the week is much of the same routine for Santana. She’s been pleasantly surprised by the lack of attention on her and somehow the news of she and Brittany’s relationship continues to fly under the radar. That’s mainly because of the Titans and their recent win, but the buzz surrounding that slowly starts to die as the week goes on.

Emphasis on _slowly._

It’s kind of funny to watch how Brittany shies away from the limelight though. Considering she’s been a female quarterback in a pretty male dominated sport for so long, Santana would’ve thought she’d be accustomed to the attention but Brittany isn’t.

And there’s something about that that makes Santana like her just a little bit more.

She has never considered Brittany as cocky although she could easily be with talent like hers. Brittany’s humble and her confidence is off the charts, Santana doesn’t think she’s ever met someone so perfect for the role that she plays on the team. The way she has altered the culture and left such an impression on most of the players is so admirable.

It makes her think back to something Brittany had said to her and Quinn at the Homecoming dance:

_“Aren’t you and Quinn Co-Captains? Don’t you have the power to change the culture of your squad if you want?”_

Santana remembers feeling guilty back then because she really does have some kind of power and yet, what kind of impression has she left? What will her legacy be? Currently, all she can say is that they’ve never lost a competition but it’s not always about winning or losing, right?

At least, that’s how Brittany makes her feel. It makes Santana want to do things differently too, she just doesn’t know what. All she knows is that she wants to leave something positive when she leaves this place, like Brittany. She wants people like her to feel safe to be who they are, something that she struggles to experience. 

\\\

“Must be a really interesting paper,” Maribel comments as she comes up behind Santana sitting at her desk.

Santana spins around from her laptop and looks back at her mom curiously.

“I was calling you downstairs,” Maribel explains, “Thought you might’ve fallen asleep already when you didn’t answer.”

“Oh, sorry,” Santana says before glancing back to her screen, “Must’ve zoned out.”

“I see,” Maribel comes to sit on the edge of Santana’s bed, “Everything okay?”

Santana nods; if anything, this week has been oddly normal for her despite everything going on. She kind of feels bad for Brittany, the week hasn’t been as easy.

Almost as if Maribel could sense the blonde running around Santana’s mind, she asks, “How’s Brittany?”

Santana can’t fight the smile, “She’s fine.”

“That’s good.”

Santana continues to look curiously at Maribel, “Did you need something?”

“Just calling you for dinner. It’s the first one all week that Papi is actually home for it. Thought you’d want to join us?”

“Oh,” Santana stiffens a little before shaking her head, “No thanks. I’m not really hungry.”

It’s a big fat lie, but Santana can’t think of anything worse than to head downstairs and suffer through what’s bound to be an extremely awkward meal.

“Santana…,” Maribel chastises, “You can’t avoid him forever.”

“I’m not. I’m just not hungry.”

“Uh-huh,” Maribel looks skeptic, “At some point, you’re going to have to talk to him. It’s almost been a week.”

“It’s been four days.”

“You know what I mean.”

Santana feels the hairs on the back of her neck stand at Maribel’s tone and she quickly loses the sass in her voice, “I know, I’m just not ready. I’m juggling a lot of things right now at school and I can’t have that conversation yet.”

Maribel only nods, “Well I hope that one of those things that you’re juggling is what college you’ll be going to because that’s still a must in this family – even if it’s not Harvard.”

Santana lets out a quiet sigh, “Yes, it’s on the list.”

Maribel moves to stand, “Okay. I’ll save you a plate then if you get hungry later.”

“Thanks, Mami.”

“Of course,” She goes to press a kiss to the top of Santana’s head, “Just remember what I said. The sooner you talk to him, the better.”

“I know.”

\\\

A couple hours later, Santana’s still weighing the pros and cons of various college programs when she’s interrupted by a single text. She adjusts her reading glasses and glances to her phone.

_Brittany P. – U busy?_

Santana smiles as she quickly abandons her research for the night and types a reply.

_Santana L. – Nope_

_Brittany P. – Can I call?_

_Santana L. – Always_

It takes all of two seconds before Santana’s screen lights up with a familiar picture of her and Brittany in their Homecoming attire with Brittany’s name scrawled across the top followed by a blue heart emoji. Santana wastes no time in answering.

“Hi Britt.”

_“Hey, whatcha doing?”_

Santana’s already closing up her laptop and turning off her desk lamp before heading to change into her pajamas, “Not much. Just finishing up some homework and now I’m getting ready for bed. What about you?”

 _“Same! Actually, I lied. I’m already in bed,”_ Brittany giggles, “ _I was just watching some tv and thought I’d give you a call before I fell asleep.”_

Santana doesn’t know why she feels so smitten by Brittany’s statement, maybe because no one’s ever been so sweet to her like Brittany has. The guys she used to talk to were never like that and if they were, it was never genuine. With Brittany, it all feels so sincere and that’s such a new thing for Santana.

“You’re cute,” Santana admits shyly as she finishes getting dressed and goes to her bathroom, “What are you watching?”

_“Some documentary on sea turtles. It’s actually pretty interesting.”_

“Tell me about it,” Santana says, “I’m going to brush my teeth.”

Santana then sets down her phone after switching Brittany to speaker before going to brush her teeth. She listens to Brittany ramble off all these facts she has learned in the short time she has been watching and Santana can’t help but smile at how enthusiastic she sounds. She can just picture that excited look on the blonde’s face and how badly Santana would want to kiss her because of it.

By the time Santana finishes up in the bathroom, Brittany has imparted all the knowledge she has gained from watching the documentary. She sounds a little tired though as Santana gets into bed.

“ _I’ve got to show this one to Pete this weekend, he loves all things that live in the water,”_ Brittany explains before a yawn escapes her.

Santana chuckles at the sound before saying, “It’s cool that you both like some of the same things. Never heard of a kid actually wanting to watch a documentary.”

“ _Totally, he loves them. Hey! Maybe you can come over too? Watch with us?”_

“I can do that,” Santana grins loving how easy it is for Brittany to include her, “Maybe we can play some Monopoly? I can finally see what Pete’s made of.”

“ _Oh, now you’re asking for trouble,”_ Brittany teases.

Santana laughs at that and they both fall into their usual comfortable silence. Santana can hear the sound of Brittany’s tv faintly coming through the line and it makes her wonder if Brittany’s swept up in her documentary again. It doesn’t bother her, she kind of likes just being on the phone with Brittany even if they aren’t talking. It makes her feel less alone.

“How was practice today?” She asks awhile later.

_“It was good. Although, the guys are getting really riled up about this whole thing with the hockey team and I don’t understand it. I thought the rivalry against Carmel High was bad.”_

Santana sighs, “I’ve noticed Rick and his goons acting out a lot more recently this week.”

“ _Really?”_

“Yeah, Quinn said some of them were trying to start something with a couple of Titans just before class today. Mr. Schue was there so nothing happened, but it looked close.”

_“That’s not good.”_

“Yeah. Those guys are such pricks, all because they suck? God, get over yourselves,” Santana grumbled before softening, “Just be careful around them. I don’t want them messing with you too. You can't trust anyone who still rocks a mullet as a personal choice.”

_“I’ll be fine. I’m just hoping they cut it out by next week. I can get a little jealousy since their season isn’t off to a great start, but come on. We’re all for McKinley and they should be proud that the Titans are representing the school in the Championship game.”_

“Yeah, that would be nice,” Santana jokes, “I always forget how optimistic you are.”

 _“Yeah. Speaking of that,”_ Brittany mentions and Santana swears she sounds a little nervous, _“So I don’t have a game this Friday.”_

Santana smirks as she wonders where Brittany’s going with this, “I know, I’m off too.”

_“How convenient…did you maybe want to go to the movies with me?”_

Santana’s brows rise as a smile starts to form, “Are you asking me on a date?”

 _“Yeah, I guess I am,”_ Brittany laughs a little, “ _Mike and I were talking during practice today about what we’re going to do with our free Friday since we don’t have a game on. He was saying him and Quinn are going bowling or something, apparently Quinn’s never been. He invited us to go with them, but I figured maybe you and I could do something special on our own?”_

Santana feels a little breathless but she responds, “Yeah, I’d love to.”

_“Awesome! There are a couple movies that look good. Do you have a preference?”_

Honestly, Santana has no idea what new movies are currently out so she just shrugs, “No preference. You can pick.”

_“Okay, cool. I can’t wait, this will be so much fun! We haven’t really hung out together anywhere else but Elliott’s and the Lima Bean.”_

Santana’s smile falters a little at that but she remembers to be brave for Brittany, “There’s a first for everything.”

“ _Sure is. Well, I better settle down so I can get to sleep.”_

Santana’s smile returns, “Do you want me to stay on the phone with you again?”

_“Only if you want to, I don’t wanna keep you up.”_

“It’s okay,” Santana snuggles down and gets comfortable, “I kind of like how your voice is the last I hear before I fall asleep.”

She can’t believe she’s being reduced to saying cheesy things now, but she can’t help it. Brittany has the effect on her and it makes it all worth it when she hears the blonde giggle.

“ _Me too. It’s the best._ ”

They keep talking about nothing in particular but their voices get quieter and quieter, responses grow further and further apart, as time goes on until it’s only the sounds of sleepy mumbling and soft snores.

\\\\\\\\\

The next morning, Brittany awakes at her usual time in preparation for her morning run but there’s something different this time as she reaches over to shut off her alarm on the night stand. There’s a distinct sound of muffled grumbles coming from between her pillows and at first she’s confused until she remembers her phone.

Brittany digs it out and brings it to her ear, smiling happily at the sound of Santana slowly waking up.

“ _Why so early?”_ Santana asks and Brittany can just picture the cute pout she’d wear.

“Sorry, I forgot about my alarm,” Brittany tells her softly.

“ _Skip your run. Sleep more.”_

The urge to kiss Santana grows stronger, “I can’t but you keep sleeping. I’ll see you at school later.”

Santana doesn’t even respond verbally, just grunts. It has Brittany chuckling as she hangs up and goes to get ready for the day.

\\\

The rest of Brittany’s morning continues like usual. She goes for her run, comes home to shower and get ready for school, then makes the drive over to McKinley and waits for Santana. The waiting for Santana part is a new addition this week, but it has become one of her favorite parts of the day.

Actually, anything involving Santana is her favorite part of the day.

“Mornin’,” Santana greets Brittany once she gets out of her car. There’s a cup of coffee in her hand like always and a sexy rasp to her voice still thick with sleep, “How was your run?”

“It was good,” Brittany replies, “How was the rest of your sleep?”

“It was okay,” Santana shrugs, “Would’ve been better if you stayed.”

Brittany smiles apologetically, “I’ll make it up to you tomorrow for our date.”

She watches Santana’s smile widen too, “I’ll hold you to it.”

After that, they head into school much like they have been for the past week – with their pinkies linked. And like always, students gravitate to Brittany while Santana threatens to go _all Lima Heights_ on someone if they don’t give her space. You’d think people would catch onto what’s going on between them by now, but either they don’t know or they don’t care.

For Santana’s sake, Brittany hopes it’s the latter.

Brittany just wants to show her that being together doesn’t have to be so scary. And sure, maybe at first there might be some talk and looks directed their way but like all drama, it eventually dies off and everything will go back to normal again.

Maybe they’re just lucky and have skipped that part where everyone wants to be in their business? Brittany doesn’t know, but she savors how it is for the moment anyway.

\\\

It’s not until after her first class that things start to take a turn.

Brittany’s standing at her locker grabbing books needed for her second class when Mike and Sam walk up. When she turns to greet them, she’s taken aback by the grimace Sam wears – it isn’t directed at her, but rather down the hall.

“Dude chill,” Mike warns him.

“I’ve been chill!” Sam snaps, “They’re the ones that need the reminder.”

Brittany quickly looks to see who or what has Sam looking so upset. It’s no surprise when she sees Rick’s smug face along with a couple of his friends flanking him. They walk taller than usual with their chests all puffed out as they come down the hallway.

“What’s going on?” Brittany asks as her gaze shifts from the hockey players to the Titans.

“Kurt was slushied,” Mike explains, “By the Puck Heads.”

She hadn’t heard of anyone getting slushied since she put a stop to it earlier in the year, but that was directed at the Titans. She just figured that they were the biggest culprits, that’s why she wasn’t hearing anything about it.

“When did this happen?” She asks as she eyes the hockey players approaching.

“Before first bell,” Mike answers.

Brittany frowns, she noticed Kurt wasn’t in class earlier but she didn’t think too much of it. She figured he was just arriving late today like he has occasionally done in the past, not this.

“Finn had to take him home,” Sam says and his tone has this unfamiliar edge to it, “Kurt was completely soaked.”

“I heard he was really shaken up too,” Mike adds.

“All the more reason to beat their faces in!” Sam scowls.

Brittany shakes her head as something deep within her begins to rattle too, “This has got to stop.”

Before Mike and Sam can say anything else, Brittany’s storming over to Rick and his guys with her fists balled and a hard look of determination in her piercing blue eyes.

Rick sees her coming but doesn’t expect Brittany to shove him into the nearby locker as soon as she gets close enough. Everyone around them stops and stares while Mike and Sam run over for back up.

“Woah, settle down, Princess!” Rick snaps.

“That’s _King_ to you,” Brittany growls before giving him another shove to keep him pinned against the lockers.

“Careful,” Rick gets increasingly annoyed as his voice drops, “Don’t want you breaking a nail.”

Brittany only hardens her scowl, “Stay away from my team. I mean it.”

Rick pushes her hand off of him and adjusts his jersey while he gives her this arrogant grin, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You and these Puck Heads slushied Kurt,” Sam supplies angrily from behind Brittany, “Five of you against just him? How is that fair?”

Brittany feels a new wave of anger hit; she didn’t know how outnumbered Kurt really was. She’s not usually one for violence either, but when it comes to her friends and the people she cares about she’ll do whatever it takes to protect them.

Rick only scoffs, “Not our fault he was prancing around on his own. Shouldn’t have showed his face around us, he knew better.”

“He was just going to class!” Mike argues but Sam’s done talking about it and goes to swing at Rick.

The crowd surrounding them gets rowdier and Brittany can just see the moment when Santana and Quinn arrive to see what’s going on. The flash of worry on Santana’s face when she sees that Brittany’s right in the middle of everything is enough for Brittany to want to take a different approach to this.

“Get him out of here,” She tells Mike as she pushes Sam back, “We don’t need you getting suspended for hitting one of these assholes.”

That’s when it all clicks. The sudden rise in antagonizing the Titans, Rick and his guys picking fights over nothing, it all makes sense.

Brittany turns back to Rick, “That’s what you want, isn’t it? You think you can trick us into fighting with you because you know someone will get suspended which means they won’t be able to play next week.”

Sam eases and Mike looks dumbfounded.

“Well, you’re going to have to try harder than that if you want to keep us from this game,” Brittany says confidently.

Rick only smirks, “If anyone’s going to end McKinley’s drought, it’ll be us. It’ll be the hockey team, not you fucking sell-outs. Not some girl pretending to be a quarterback.”

Brittany lets out a laugh, “Who’s pretending? Not me. If anything, you’re the ones pretending…pretending to be hockey players. Have you guys even won a game yet?”

Rick’s smirk falters as the crowd surrounding them starts to whisper.

“I wouldn’t know, I’ve never watched one of your games,” Brittany shrugs and looks the everyone else, “What about you guys? Ever been to one of their games?”

She sees people shaking their heads and looking to each other for an answer that no one seems to have. Santana covers her laughter behind her hand and it only makes Brittany’s smile widen.

“Maybe if you spent more time practicing rather than trying to mess up what the Titans have going for them and tormenting everyone along the way you’d be a winning team too,” Brittany says casually, “Just a hunch, Rick.”

“Fuck off, Pierce.”

“You first,” Brittany challenges.

Rick looks pissed but Brittany has him stumped and he and his friends stomp off while everyone else cheers. Santana smiles at Brittany with so much pride and adoration, Brittany is nearly reduced to a puddle on the spot.

But, there’s still an important matter she needs to address.

“No one on the team is to fight with them,” Brittany tells Mike and Sam sternly, “Especially Puck. Now that we know what they’re up to hopefully they’ll tone it down but just in case. We can’t afford to lose anyone on the team to a suspension, not when the game is next Friday.”

“Sure thing, Cap,” Mike nods.

Sam only frowns, “I can’t believe I almost fell for it.”

“It’s okay. They knew they were bound to get someone going after Kurt like that,” Brittany shakes her head, “I hope he’s alright.”

“I’ve got class with Puck next,” Sam answers, “Maybe Finn’s told him something?”

Brittany nods just as Santana and Quinn join them. There’s a soft touch to her wrist and Brittany turns to see Santana looking up at her curiously.

“What was that all about?” Santana asks worriedly, “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’ll tell you at lunch,” Brittany assures her then without thinking, she bends down to press a kiss to the top of Santana’s head.

It’s a quick peck but it still makes Brittany’s heart skip a beat because it came so naturally to her even though they’ve rarely done that. The hall has pretty much cleared out which only leaves the five of them there, but still…

Quinn smirks while Mike wraps his arm lovingly around her and smiles.

Sam looks between them all with a slightly slack jaw, “Wait. Am I the last to know?”

Brittany looks to Santana and it’s like an unspoken question of _what do you want to do?_

Surprisingly, Santana just chuckles and the sound eases Brittany’s nerves instantly. Even better, she leans against Brittany as she wraps her arm around the quarterback’s waist.

“Sorry Sam,” Santana says sweetly.

Sam feigns hurt but he quickly replaces it with a dopey grin before hugging them both at the same time. It’s a wholesome moment and Brittany revels in it despite the fight that nearly broke out just minutes ago with Rick and the hockey players.

Hopefully that’s the last time she has to deal with them, but she has a bad feeling that it won’t be.


	14. Chapter 14

As exhausting as it has been for her to deal with the student body this past week, Brittany’s feeling more amped up than ever as she wakes early Friday morning. Firstly, it marks the end of such a weird week. Secondly, it’s the first Friday she has had off since school started. Thirdly, she and Santana are going on their first date tonight.

Brittany’s got a lot of things going for her today and there isn’t anything that can bring her down from the incredible mood she’s in! She just hopes that the school day goes by as fast as this entire week has.

\\\

Brittany’s all smiles as she puts her car in park and looks over to Santana through her passenger side window. When she catches Santana’s eye, Brittany gives the Co-Captain a little wave before reaching over to grab her book bag and hopping out.

“Hey Britt,” Santana greets happily as she gets out of her car too. She ends up doing a double take when she sees that Brittany’s put in a little more effort than usual with her hair and make up today.

Brittany blushes a little as she watches Santana check her out. Fridays are usually the days she wears her jersey and letterman jacket, but since the Titans don’t have a game today she figured she’d spend a little extra time getting ready. After all, it’s kind of a special day.

“Can you be a little less obvious?” Brittany jokes and Santana’s gaze quickly shoots up to meet hers.

“Sorry,” Santana says bashfully, “I’m just – you look really good. I mean, you always look good but even more so today.”

Brittany gives her a shy smile as she tucks her hair behind her ear, “Thanks, Santana.”

Santana returns the expression with her own little grin before she’s sliding her pinky into Brittany’s as if it’s second nature by now. Brittany tries to keep her cool as Santana gives her finger a little squeeze.

“Ready to head inside?” Santana asks casually, “I have to stop by Ms. Pillsbury’s office before class but I can walk with you to our lockers first.”

Brittany can only nod before letting Santana lead the way.

\\\

When they go their separate ways, Brittany _so_ wishes she could just bend down and kiss Santana. She knows she could, but she likes where they are and how they’ve been progressing even if it’s a little slow. Santana’s baby steps are more than Brittany could ask for!

As the quarterback enters her first class of the day, she spots Kurt sitting in his usual seat and quickly makes her way over. Her text yesterday to him had gone unanswered so this is the first time she has gotten to speak to him since she found out about what the hockey team did.

“Hey Kurt,” Brittany greets before taking her seat next to him. She’s unsure if she should ask how he is considering he looks like he hasn’t slept all night judging by the bags under his eyes.

“Hello,” He says quietly, “Sorry I didn’t respond to your text yesterday.”

“Don’t be,” Brittany assures him, “How…are you?”

Kurt shrugs before he lets out a sigh, “It wasn’t the first time I’ve been slushied like that. It’s more annoying than anything. I worked so hard on that blazer and it’s completely ruined now.”

“I’m so sorry, Kurt,” Brittany frowns, “I spoke with Rick and some of his guys yesterday so hopefully that’s the last time he slushies anyone. They’re trying to get a rise out of us on purpose, make us throw the game because they know Figgins suspends people for fighting.”

“If they aren’t winning, I guess no one else can either,” Kurt replies as he shakes his head.

“Exactly.”

“I guess there’s one good thing that came out of this though.”

Brittany looks to him curiously, “What?”

“They didn’t slushy me for being gay,” Kurt gives her a weak smile, “They did it because I’m a Titan.”

Brittany watches Kurt’s smile start to grow and it makes hers do the same.

She has watched the dynamic between Kurt and the team strengthen in her time at McKinley, it’s one of the things that she’s most proud of as Team Captain. Although no one should really be slushied for any reason, she knows how important this is for Kurt. Those guys targeted him because he’s apart of this team – which is something he chose to be apart of – not because of something he has no control over like his sexuality.

For someone like Kurt who has grown up with these people and has lived in Lima all his life, that’s big. In a roundabout way, it makes Brittany feel hopeful for Santana too.

Maybe this school really is changing?

\\\\\\\\\

Santana takes her seat before Ms. Pillsbury and tries to keep her nerves in check as best as she can. The guidance counselor is the least intimidating person Santana has ever met, but for some reason she feels a little more on edge than usual as the woman sorts through the paperwork.

“I’m so glad you’ve changed your mind. There are quite a few schools that have their eye on you and I believe you’ll make a great addition to any you chose,” Ms. Pillsbury rambles, “You are an incredible student with perfect grades, nearly perfect attendance and you’re involved in extracurriculars.”

Santana twists her fingers in her lap as she watches Ms. Pillsbury go through the paperwork. She has been working hard on these applications in secret which probably isn’t the best approach considering she has yet to speak to her dad. She just figures that if she gets accepted to some of these schools first that maybe it won’t be so bad when she finally has that conversation with him.

Harvard doesn’t have to be the end all be all? She’ll show him that if these schools accept her.

“Wow, you’ve definitely been busy,” Ms. Pillsbury jokes in attempt to lighten the mood as she flicks through another completed application.

Santana forces a smile and keeps watching. She was the one who asked for this meeting, she was the one who wanted Ms. Pillsbury’s help, so why does she feel so weird now that she’s here? It isn’t until Ms. Pillsbury stops and gives Santana a kind smile that she finally eases up.

“Are you sure you want to do this, Santana?” She asks gently, “You look as though you may have some reservations which is perfectly fine. Harvard is a very prestigious school and – “

“I’m sure,” Santana responds, “I want to do this. I know I’ve been declining looking at any other schools but I’m done with pursuing Harvard.”

“Okay,” Ms. Pillsbury nods albeit a little surprised.

“It’s not what I want anymore,” Santana admits, “I don’t think I’ve ever wanted it really. What I _do_ want are options, ones that _I_ feel are right for me and what I want to do in the future. That’s why I’m doing this.”

“And what is it that you want to do in the future?”

Santana’s shoulders droop, “I just need a little more time figuring that part out.”

Ms. Pillsbury nods, but the silence makes Santana feel as though she needs to explain.

“I have an idea – I think – I just want to be sure first,” Santana explains, “But I am trying to sort it out.”

Ms. Pillsbury smiles, “That’s okay, Santana. You don’t need to have everything figured out all att once.”

“I can still send out these applications without knowing yet, right?” Santana asks, “I don’t want to hang onto them too long and miss deadlines or something.”

“Of course. It’s not uncommon to go undecided or even change majors later on,” Ms. Pillsbury explains, “In the meantime, we’ll send these applications off. If you need any assistance in choosing or if you just want to chat about whatever programs the schools offer my door is always open.”

Santana smiles in return, “Thanks.”

“Not a problem,” Ms. Pillsbury smiles.

Santana bites her lip nervously before adding, “Would you mind keeping this between us?”

Ms. Pillsbury looks to Santana curiously.

“I just – I haven’t spoken to my dad about this yet,” Santana explains, “I know my dad checks in with you to make sure I’m on the right track with Harvard.”

Ms. Pillsbury softens before nodding, “Of course, Santana. This will stay between us.”

\\\\\\\\\

By lunchtime, Brittany’s itching for the school day to finally be over. Her hopes for it to breeze by have been dashed by a pop quiz during her first class and getting assigned super boring book work in her second. The last half of her day is her favorite though and she has a little more pep to her step as she walks with Kurt to their usual table with their lunch.

Only this time, Puck and Finn are lingering there with their lunch trays in hand.

“Everything alright?” Brittany asks them.

“Yeah. We’re cool,” Finn nods as he looks between Brittany and Kurt, “You guys want to sit with us today?”

“Both of us?” Kurt looks a little surprised when Finn nods, “But my friends? I usually sit with them.”

Brittany watches as Kurt looks forlornly to Mercedes and Tina who sit and stare at the Titans with wide eyes. All they’re missing is popcorn with the way they’re watching.

“We know. It’s just,” Finn stumbles on finding the right words.

“This is our way of protecting you and showing those _jerk-offs_ ,” Puck says the insult a little louder as he notices Rick and a couple of his guys listening in on the conversation, “That if they want to pick on you they’re going to have to pick on all of us.”

Although his heart is in the right place, Brittany shakes her head at Puck’s words, “No one’s picking on anyone. Like I said at practice yesterday, that’s exactly what they want from us.”

“Well there’s strength in numbers or something, right?” Finn suggests, “If you guys sit with us then it shows how united we are or whatever. We’re more of a team than they’ll ever be.”

Brittany softens, “That we are.”

“Okay, then come sit with us.”

“Look, that’s sweet but I don’t want to leave my friends behind,” Kurt says though, “We shouldn’t have to stay with our _cliques_ to keep from being bullied. I haven’t changed who I am since it stared and I’m not going to do it any time soon.”

Finn and Puck exchange a look before glancing to Brittany for back up.

“It’s his decision,” Brittany shrugs.

“Okay,” Finn nods then he and Puck return to their usual table with the rest of the Titans.

“Well that was unexpected,” Mercedes comments as Kurt and Brittany take a seat.

“Tell me about it,” Kurt chuckles lightly, “Since that day I got slushied, Finn’s been taking this whole _Big Brother_ thing super seriously.”

“That’s kind of nice,” Tina smiles.

Brittany’s just about to agree when one of the lunch monitors yells out, “What do you think you’re doing, Hudson?”

When Brittany and the rest of her friends turn towards the commotion, they find Finn and Puck along with the rest of the Titans lifting their table. It’s maybe ten guys all together and Brittany stares with this dumbfounded look on her face as she watches them carry it across the room.

Santana and Quinn are just entering the cafeteria and have to stop and wait as the Titans carry the table through their path. The Co-Captains look back and forth, trying to connect the dots with equally confused looks on their faces. In fact, everyone in the cafeteria stare in awe as this table moves across the way.

It isn’t until the Titans are just a few feet away from Brittany and her friends that they finally set it back down.

“Sorry,” Finn apologizes to the lunch monitor, “We just wanted to be closer to our teammates.”

The man looks baffled by Finn’s explanation but ends up shaking his head, “Just move it back to where it needs to be by the end of lunch.”

“You got it!” Finn replies happily.

“What are you doing, Finn?” Kurt scolds, “You’re going to get the whole team in trouble.”

“Nah, Mr. Philips is alright,” He shrugs, “Besides, if you don’t want to leave your friends then we’ll just come sit with you instead.”

Brittany can’t believe she’s witnessing this and just smiles proudly as Santana comes around behind her. There’s a soft touch to her shoulder before she’s turning to look up at the brunette.

“I can’t wait to hear the story behind this,” Santana smirks as she nods to the Titans carrying on with their lunch as usual.

“I’m still trying to figure it out,” Brittany chuckles but then she notices Santana lingering behind her twirling the tips of Brittany’s hair around her finger.

“You should curl your hair more often,” Santana says before bending down a little so that she can whisper in Brittany’s ear, “It makes you look super hot.”

Brittany starts to smirk as she tilts her head, “You’re on a roll with the compliments today.”

Santana only gives her a wink before she and Quinn head to the front of the lunch line: Co-Captain perks. 

Brittany watches her go, more importantly the tantalizing sway of her hips in that Cheerios skirt. She really does have the hottest girlfriend ever. As she’s turning back around to finish her lunch, she catches Rick’s eye and the way he glares at her and the Titans makes all the alarm bells in her head start to ring.

She stares him down with that same determined look in her eye as the other day where they clashed in the hall and it’s enough to have him brushing her off…for now. It makes Brittany wonder, maybe it was a good idea that the Titans are all so close together; just like Finn said, there’s strength in numbers…or something.

\\\

By the end of the school day, Brittany’s as eager as ever to get the hell out of there. She and Santana spent all last class working together on their assignments while also ironing out the details of their date later. Brittany narrowed it down to one movie that she thought they’d might like to see – with the help of Mike, Sam and Quinn – and she was so excited about it that she already bought the tickets online.

 _“Oh. I can pay you back,”_ Santana had said, “ _How much was it?”_

 _“Pay me back?”_ Brittany giggled, “ _You don’t have to, I’m not that much of a cheap date.”_

_“At least let me pay for snacks?”_

_“Nope! It’s all taken care of.”_

After a couple more assuring words from Brittany, Santana finally let it go. Instead, she promised that she’d pay for everything on their next date. Brittany was more than happy to agree to that, loving that Santana was already wanting to go out again.

After class let out for the day and they stowed away the books they won’t be needing for the weekend in their lockers, Santana and Brittany feel oddly displaced knowing they don’t have to rush off to get ready for a game. Brittany knows some of the guys on the team are getting together for a quick practice without Coach Beiste which she knows she probably should attend.

“You going to head home?” Santana asks as they linger by their lockers.

Brittany shifts from side to side, “I want to but my inner Team Captain voice is telling me to practice with the guys.”

“Isn’t it meant to be your day off though?”

“Yeah, but it’s less about having to do the work and more about being apart of the team,” Brittany shrugs, “What are you going to do? Our date isn’t for another few hours.”

Santana smiles, “Maybe I’ll go shopping with Quinn. She was saying she wants to get something cute to wear for bowling. Maybe I’ll get something cute to wear too?”

Brittany starts to grin at the possibilities, “And here I was thinking you were just going to wear your Cheerios uniform.”

“I still can,” Santana jokes.

“No, no,” Brittany laughs, “Wear whatever you want. I’m sure you’ll look great in anything.”

“We’ll see,” Santana smirks, “Well, I’ll let you go to practice then.”

“Okay,” Brittany replies, “I’ll pick you up around 6:30?”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Okay cool,” Brittany says then gives a quick look around to check that they’re alone. When she sees that the coast is clear she leans in, “I’m going to kiss you goodbye now.”

Santana only smiles as she closes the distance for a sweet kiss on the lips. It doesn’t last nearly as long as Brittany would’ve liked, but again – progress.

“See you later,” Brittany waves as she starts to head to the gym.

Santana waves goodbye in return, her smitten little smile still on her lips as she does so.

\\\

Turns out, football practice was exactly what Brittany needed to get rid of some of those pent up nerves for tonight. Without Coach Beiste supervising, the Titans were able to have a more casual practice that didn’t leave them feeling completely exhausted. By the end of it, Brittany was running on the adrenaline of a great practice and headed straight home to get ready for her date.

She took her time showering, making sure to scrub off the grass and sweat, before setting off to do her hair. She opted for subtle beach waves again since they seemed to be a hit with Santana at school. While she worked on her make up, she thought about the Co-Captain and wondered what she would be wearing for tonight and if Brittany had anything in her wardrobe that could compare.

She doubted it; the handful of times she has seen Santana in regular clothes, they’ve always been tight skirts and low cut blouses or these cute dresses that seemed to be crafted just to accentuate Santana’s curves. Brittany’s outfits weren’t really like that. Her choices were usually on the more eccentric side but she always seemed to pull off whatever odd combination she threw together as if it were made for the cover of Teen Vogue.

This time wouldn’t be any different. At least, that’s what she hoped for as she raided her closet for an outfit. She tried on this and that and paired that blouse with those trousers or scraped it all and went for overalls until she was satisfied with what she had on.

Then it was off to doing her makeup which she usually wore pretty light but since this was a special occasion, she wanted to do something extra. She spent time on her eyeshadow and lashes and even added a little highlight to the apples of her cheeks. She knew Santana would be looking as great as ever, but she also wanted to make sure that she looked the part too.

“Woah!” Pete gasps from behind Brittany, nearly giving her a heart attack, “Why are you so dressed up?”

“Geez, you scared me!” Brittany chuckles as she does some final touches before spinning to face her brother, “I’m going to the movies with Santana tonight. How do I look?”

Pete squints his eyes and taps at his chin before giving her a thumbs up.

“Awesome! Thanks, Petey.”

“Can I got to the movies too?” Pete wonders as he hops up on her bed.

“Not this time,” Brittany ruffles up his hair, “It’s kind of meant to just be me and Santana.”

“Oh…”

“But we can hang out tomorrow?” Brittany assures him, “I saw a cool documentary I want to show you about sea turtles _plus_ Santana wants to come over and play some Monopoly with us.”

“Really?” Pete asks with wide eyes, “Does she know I’m the world champion of Monopoly?”

Brittany chuckles, “She will after she plays you.”

Pete grins devilishly, “I can’t wait for tomorrow now.”

“Me neither,” Brittany replies before grabbing her bag and heading for the door, “Come on, I have to get going soon. Don’t want to be late, that’s not good date etiquette.”

“Oh, you’re going on a _date_ ,” Pete sings the last word playfully before scrunching up his nose, “I definitely don’t wanna go anymore.”

Brittany only laughs as the two of them head downstairs.

\\\

When Brittany arrives to Santana’s house, Santana is already making her way down the driveway while Maribel waves at them. Brittany rolls down her window and returns the greeting with a wave and a _Hi Maribel_ before Santana’s hopping in the passenger side.

“Have you been waiting outside for me?” Brittany asks as Santana buckles in, “I would’ve knocked on the door like a proper date?”

Santana chuckles, “No, my mom just came home and I knew you wouldn’t be that far away judging by your text.”

“Oh okay,” Brittany nods and focuses back on driving.

It’s not until they get out onto the main road that Brittany starts to feel some of those nerves from earlier resurface. It kind of confuses her because she’s been nothing but excited since the moment Santana agreed to doing this, but now that they’re here she can’t help but feel extra giddy.

It’s been awhile since she has gone out on a date like this. The last person she dated had such a busy schedule and it was often hard to plan outings, let alone spend time together. That was ultimately their downfall and Brittany sometimes worries if that could be a problem for her and Santana too.

They’re lucky they have the same lunch block and share a class, but it’s also important to her that they spend time together outside of school as well. She knows it’s a little difficult with them both being involved in a sport but at least they’re off to a good start so far.

“What are you thinking so hard about over?” Santana chuckles.

Brittany glances at her from the corner of her eye and grins, “Nothing in particular. Just excited to spend time with you.”

Santana reaches over and gives Brittany’s thigh a squeeze, “Me too. Wish we had Fridays off all the time, could be our date night.”

Brittany’s grin widens before she’s overlapping Santana’s hand with her own, “I’ll have them off once the season’s over.”

“You won’t be taking up a winter or spring sport?”

“I don’t think so,” Brittany answers, “If I’m going to be going away for college, I want to spend the most time I can with my family…and you.”

She didn’t mean for the conversation to take that kind of turn, but it’s the first time she has hinted at the future which she feels a little silly about since their relationship is so new. When she glances at Santana, she can’t quite get a read on her reaction.

“I wasn’t going to play football this year,” Brittany quickly adds to fill the silence, “So that I could help with Pete but my mom talked me into it. She knows how much I love to play and I know my dad would’ve wanted me to spend my Senior doing something I love. But with the season ending soon, there’s not much else I want to do except spend time with you. I can continue training incase I get picked up by a scout but I’ll have way more free time since I won’t be apart of a team.”

“More time with you would be nice,” Santana ends up saying a moment later and a soft smile graces her lips.

Brittany doesn’t know why, but those words calm her nerves and at the same time makes her feel hopeful for what’s to come for them.

\\\

“So snacks, gotta have them,” Brittany states as they enter the theater. She looks around for the brightly lit menu board like a shining beacon of deliciousness.

“It’s over here,” Santana says as she gives Brittany’s sleeve a tug in the right direction.

The quarterback lets Santana lead the way to the concession stand and heads to the back of the line. While she eyes the menu, Santana continues to hang onto Brittany’s sleeve as if they were holding hands. Brittany tries to refrain from drawing attention to it, but she can’t help how cute she thinks it is.

“You know,” She whispers, “I won’t mind it if you wanted to hold my hand instead, beats stretching out my sweater.”

Santana sends her a playful glare before she’s dropping Brittany’s sleeve altogether. Brittany pouts at the loss.

“What snacks are you thinking?” Santana asks instead.

Brittany goes back to looking at the menu, “Well, you’ve got to have all the elements for the perfect movie snacking experience: salty, sweet, and sour.”

“I like the way you think,” Santana compliments as they get closer to the front of the line.

“Definitely getting popcorn,” Brittany starts to list, “A box of Dots.”

“Dots? Really?” Santana scrunches her nose cutely, “I didn’t think anyone actually liked those.”

Brittany bumps her shoulder with Santana’s playfully, “They’re not so bad. What else? Oh! Some Sour Patch Kids and Buncha Crunch.”

“I can feel the cavities forming already,” Santana teases, “What do you want to drink?”

Brittany ponders a moment, “Water.”

Santana raises a brow, “Really? After all that sugar?”

Brittany starts to grin, “Kidding. You can’t just drink water at the movies, that’s super weird. What soda do you like? We can share!”

Santana looks over at the fountain drinks, “I don’t mind Dr. Pepper.”

“Girl after my own heart,” Brittany jokes dreamily. She catches Santana start to blush and it makes her swoon even more, “Come on. It’s our turn to order.”

\\\

Once securing their snacks, Santana and Brittany head down the dim corridor to find their theater number. Brittany’s got the container of popcorn and theater box candies in one arm while Santana holds their drink which conveniently allows them both to have a free hand.

Brittany’s itching to make a move, her way of redeeming herself for the comment about her sleeve earlier, but she’s got the _first date jitters_ so she’s hesitant. Thankfully, it’s a long walk to the end of the hall where their theater is so it gives her a little time to rustle up the courage.

That is, if she decides to make a move.

She catches Santana glancing at her from the corner of her eye too and it makes Brittany wonder if she’s struggling with the same thing. Surprisingly though, it only takes their hands brushing against each other’s twice before Santana’s timidly linking their pinkies like usual.

\\\

The theater isn’t as full as Brittany thought it would be considering it’s a Friday night, but she figures that this particular movie has been out long enough that the initial hype has long since died down. They’re a little early as well so the lights aren’t as dim yet, making it still pretty easy to see that not many people are here. With a variety of good seating options available, Brittany and Santana opt for the top row.

“It’s the best seats in the house,” Brittany jokes as they do the awkward shuffle along the narrow walkway. Santana only giggles as she trails after the blonde.

When they get to the middle of the row, Brittany and Santana push down their seats and get settled with all of their snacks. It’s a lot to juggle, but they make it work and soon they’re sitting comfortably while they await the trailers.

“So how was practice?” Santana asks as Brittany pulls the container of popcorn to her lap.

“It was really laid back,” Brittany answers, “Basically just a pick up game so I wouldn’t even call it practice so it was cool. Did you end up going shopping with Quinn?”

“I did,” Santana starts to smirk, “I wasn’t really planning on buying anything but I saw this dress and figured you probably wouldn’t mind it.”

Brittany noticed the plunging neckline as soon as Santana unzipped her leather jacket in the car shortly after leaving the Lopez Residence. She nearly drove her car into a mailbox it was that distracting.

“I definitely don’t mind,” Brittany gives her a goofy grin, “You’re as pretty as ever.”

“So are you,” Santana grins and once again they start to gravitate to each other as if its second nature.

There are a few more couples seated below them but their backs are turned so Santana and Brittany are basically invisible. Brittany’s gaze falls from Santana’s to her glossy lips before bouncing back up again.

“You think it would be okay if I kissed you?” Brittany mumbles and her heart pounds steadily at the possibility that Santana might let her in such a public setting.

Santana glances to her left and sees that the nearest couple is still about six rows away. Brittany knows that Santana would be conscious of them which is yet another reason why she chose these particular seats.

Seemingly satisfied for the moment, Santana gives Brittany a nod before her eyes flutter closed.

Brittany mimics the gesture and they both lean in for a long awaited kiss. This one isn’t just a quick peck on the lips like Brittany’s used to either. This one feels drawn out, feels like an inhale and exhale all at once, it feels like heaven and when she can feel Santana smile against her lips it’s like no other feeling.

She almost forgets where she is as her hand moves to cup Santana’s cheek. It’s just a gentle touch, but it elicits a quiet little hum from the brunette and before Brittany knows it Santana is deepening the kiss. Brittany can feel the poke of Santana’s tongue running along her bottom lip and she doesn’t hesitate to welcome it, loving this daring side of Santana.

Brittany can feel herself starting to get carried away, but thankfully the lights suddenly dim and the sound of opening trailers pulls them apart. She can just barely see the sly little grin on Santana’s face before she glances to the big screen.

“What are we watching again?” Santana asks as she looks back to Brittany.

Brittany only blinks, still reeling from that kiss.

\\\

They’re about forty-five minutes into the movie when Brittany realizes a handful of things:

Number One: Mike and Sam are not very good at recommending movies.

Number Two: Neither is Quinn.

Number Three: _Paranormal Activity 3_ is not a comedy.

That last one she probably should’ve known but she heard the guys on the team talking about how funny it was so she just assumed it was something like the _Scary Movie_ series where they made fun of actual scary movies. Who knew she was completely wrong? Still, she tries to keep on a brave face because during her conversation with Sam and Mike about picking a movie, Quinn had said that Santana mentioned wanting to see this one. 

Knowing Santana had a secret preference made it super easy for Brittany when it came to finally choosing, but she didn’t know not being able to sleep for the next two weeks would be the price. It’s not that she’s a scaredy cat or anything, she just doesn’t do well with haunted houses and that’s basically all this movie is about!

She fights the urge to bring her knees up to hide behind and shield her eyes from certain scenes because there’s no way she can embarrass herself like that in front of Santana. So she keeps herself busy with snacking and chances a glance every so often in Santana’s direction, hoping that if she doesn’t get too invested in the movie then she won’t be as scared.

\\\

That tactic sort of works until there’s a jump scene and she flinches so hard that she nearly drops the bucket of popcorn on the floor. Her heart is racing from the scare and her cheeks are a little flushed when she sees that Santana’s watching her.

She doesn’t say anything at first and that makes Brittany feel even more nervous. It’s not until Santana looks between them and lifts the arm rest that separates their chairs. Brittany watches Santana inch closer until their thighs are flush and soon the jump scare is a distant memory. With her being this close now, Brittany just has to wrap her arm around the brunette.

“You scared?” Santana whispers as she sinks into Brittany’s side.

Brittany shakes her head and Santana smirks up at her.

“You sure?”

“Mhmm.”

“You look scared.”

“Well…I’m not.”

Santana eyes Brittany a little longer before leaning back some, “Okay then.”

Brittany quirks her brow and whispers, “Are you?”

Santana looks back and shakes her head.

Brittany nods and tries to sit a little taller; if Santana isn’t afraid then neither is she!

\\\

Obviously, Brittany’s lying because this is the scariest movie she’s ever seen which isn’t saying much because she stays away from that genre but the funny thing is…Santana’s lying too.

“ _Fuck,_ ” Santana curses beneath her breath. Her hand instinctively juts out and grips Brittany’s thigh and before either of them know it, Santana’s burying her face into Brittany’s shoulder.

Brittany’s equally tense after that scene but seeing Santana visibly scared too has her easing. There’s a little twinkle in her eye when she glances at Santana trying to play off how bad she just flinched as she straightens up.

In fact, it’s such bad acting on Santana’s part that Brittany starts to giggle.

“What are you laughing at?” Santana asks. She tries to keep a straight face but Brittany’s giggling is infectious and soon she starts to smile too.

“You’re scared,” Brittany points out.

“I’m not.”

“You totally are,” Brittany laughs again, “You’re using me to hide.”

“No.”

“Yes,” Brittany teases, “You didn’t move the arm rest up for a cuddle. You wanted protection.”

“I – No,” Santana stammers but she ultimately gives up, “Alright fine, this movie gives me the fucking creeps. This house needs to be burned to the ground.”

Brittany softens as she removes the popcorn bucket from her lap, “I’m not really a fan of these kinds of movies. I only picked it because Quinn told me you loved horror movies, except I didn’t know if this was actually a horror movie or if it was a parody…”

“Oh, did she now?” Santana purses her lips before she lets out a dry chuckle, “That sneaky little…”

Brittany frowns, “What’s wrong?”

“Quinn and I have been best friends for years,” Santana says, “We grew up together and if there’s one thing she knows about me it’s that I don’t do horror movies.”

Brittany’s face heats up, “Really? Shit. I would’ve picked something else if I knew. She was so convincing and the guys, they said it wasn’t that scary.”

“Yeah, they’re probably just saying that to protect their masculinity because this shit?” Santana glances at the screen and cringes before turning back to Brittany, “No me gusta.”

Brittany sends Santana an apologetic smile, “I’m sorry. I should’ve checked with you first so we wouldn’t be stuck watching something we don’t want to.”

“We can always leave,” Santana suggests, “I’m sure there’s another movie playing right now. We can just sneak into a different one.”

Brittany only frowns. It’s their first date and she messes up big time, how embarrassing!

“Hey, don’t beat yourself up about it,” Santana smiles fondly as she squeezes at Brittany’s thigh, “We can stay too? Just gives me an excuse to make out with you instead.”

Brittany’s jaw goes a little slack as Santana drapes her legs over Brittany’s and slides in close. Now, she’s basically in the blonde’s lap and Brittany instinctively wraps her arms around Santana’s waist to keep her there. She already feels ten times better than before!

“You don’t need an excuse for that,” Brittany grins and soon Santana’s lips are back on hers.

\\\

They end up staying like that for the rest of the movie and neither one of them can tell you what happened since they were too preoccupied with doing something way better. Brittany didn’t need any reassuring, but kissing Santana is probably the best distraction there is. For once, they felt like any other couple hiding away at the back of the movie theater making out.

In a way, it was freeing and although Brittany felt silly at first for choosing the wrong movie it all managed to work itself out in the end. Maybe an even better ending than she had hoped for!

As they leave the theater, practically floating on Cloud 9, Brittany made a daring move and tangled her fingers with Santana’s. After the past hour they’ve spent hidden in the shadows, she still wanted to feel close now that they were out in the open. Really, she’s been wanting to hold Santana’s hand since they got there but better late than never.

Santana grins happily as she overlaps their joined hands with her free one, surprising Brittany by how welcoming she is too the gesture. Santana brings their hands up to her lips and turns so that she can place a sweet kiss to Brittany’s knuckles. It makes the blonde feel so soft and the smitten smile can’t help but form.

\\\

“Great movie,” Santana jokes as they get to Brittany’s car, “I’d definitely see it again.”

“I bet you would,” Brittany smirks as they untangle their hands and get in.

“But seriously, hopefully none of that movie actually stuck because I’m not trying to have nightmares,” Santana says with a chuckle although Brittany can tell she’s being a little serious.

“Same,” Brittany nods, “I might have to steal Pete’s night light if that’s the case.”

“Not sure what that’ll do against the paranormal,” Santana quips.

“Hey,” Brittany gives her a playfully stern look, “Night lights protect against everything.”

“Then you better make some room in your bed for me because I’m coming over. I do not fuck with the ghosts and shit,” Santana replies then pauses when she realizes what she has said.

Brittany watches with adoring look in her eye.

“I mean like, hypothetically speaking,” Santana adds shyly, “We probably won’t have nightmares or anything because we didn’t really watch much of that movie. Right? I doubt anything stuck so we’ll be okay.”

Brittany only grins as she goes to start the car.

\\\

“Are you kidding me?” Santana gapes as they pull up to her house ten minutes before her curfew. She sits up rigidly and eyes her seemingly vacant house in confusion.

Brittany looks at the empty driveway and frowns, “Are your parents not home?”

“Apparently not,” Santana replies and reaches for her phone, “I know my dad’s doing an overnight, but my mom should be here? Do you mind if I give her a call?”

Brittany bobs her head, “Yeah, sure. Go ahead.”

Brittany watches Santana quickly scroll through her phone before she’s pressing it to her little ear. She can see how worked up Santana’s starting to get and wonders if it’s because she might have to be all alone in that empty house or if she’s just worried about where her mom might be? Usually an empty house is a dream come true for people their age, but not after the movie they just watched – no matter how distracted they were.

Brittany waits patiently as she overhears some of Santana’s conversation with her mom.

“No, I didn’t get a text from you. When did you send it?” Santana wonders before putting her mom on speaker and flicking through her text messages, “Yeah, I don’t see anything here from you.”

_“That’s strange. Well, I was letting you know that I’m here at your Abuela’s house. Papi wants me to keep an eye on her after the doctor’s appointment she had today.”_

Brittany watches Santana’s features grow somber, “Is everything okay?”

_“Just a little cold.”_

The lines in Santana’s forehead deepen, “She’s sick?”

Brittany recognizes that tone and it makes her stomach churn, but she keeps quiet and continues to listen.

_“She should be fine. They’re worried it might develop into pneumonia if she’s not looked after. You know how stubborn she can be about this kind of thing, but I’m here.”_

“Right,” Santana then inhales deeply and it’s like a mask is being put on, “She probably skipped her vitamins or something silly again.”

_“You’re probably right.”_

“So you won’t be coming home tonight then?”

_“No, but you’ll be okay staying home on your own?”_

Brittany watches Santana gulp and she nearly laughs if she didn’t fear being heard by Maribel. Who knew Santana was such a chicken, but then again Brittany wouldn’t want to stay home alone after a movie like that either.

“Yeah, of course,” Santana replies a little too casually, “I’m not a little kid anymore so I’ll be fine.”

_“Okay good, I would say come over but…well.”_

“I know,” Santana brushes off although Brittany can see a nerve has been struck, “It’s okay. I’ll just – maybe I’ll see if I can sleep over Quinn’s instead?”

_“Okay mija, just let me know. I’ll see you in the morning. You can tell me all about your date with Brittany. I hope you had fun?”_

Santana starts to grin as she glances to her side at the blonde, “I did. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

When Santana hangs up, the smile she wears is still there but it slowly fades when she looks back at her house.

“Think Quinn’s home from her date by now?” Santana mumbles as she flicks through her phone, “I’m not about to stay home alone just so some paranormal entity can come snatch me up, no thank you. God, she’s such a little shit. She knew exactly what she was doing when she was talking to you. Matter of fact, I’m going to prank the hell out of her now just for this. She won’t see it coming.”

“Or,” Brittany pauses Santana although her scheming is kind of cute, “You can sleepover mine?”

Santana’s brows rise, “What? Like at your house?”

Brittany shrugs, “Well yeah, if you aren’t comfortable staying home alone I’m sure my mom would be okay with you sleeping over. Plus, you were already going to be over tomorrow anyway. It saves so much time if you’re already there.”

“I don’t know, Britt,” Santana chuckles nervously, “I doubt your mom would let your _girlfriend_ stay the night.”

Santana’s got a point, but this is a special case so she doubts her mom wouldn’t allow it.

“Why not? It’s not like I can get you pregnant or anything,” Brittany jokes but Santana’s eyes nearly bug out of her head. It only makes Brittany laugh, “I’m just kidding, geez. How about I just call and ask? Beats bothering Quinn if I’m already here?”

Santana looks at her skeptically.

“Come on,” Brittany gives her a nudge, “Doesn’t hurt to ask.”

“Okay fine,” Santana relents with a smitten smile, “But I’m still texting Quinn just incase.”

Brittany shrugs and gives her mom a call. It’s a short one, but Brittany explains Santana’s situation and Whitney ends up saying, “Y _es of course she can stay the night.”_ It’s also followed by the usual, _“Just no funny business, Brittany”_ which has the blonde blushing as she quickly assures her that there won’t be any.

“My parents would never,” Santana says with a disbelieving laugh.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Brittany winks.

“I’ll just tell my mom I’m sleeping over Quinn’s anyway,” Santana says as she texts, “Just to be safe.”

“Okay,” Brittany says, “So did you want to go inside and grab anything?”

Santana looks skeptically at her house, all dark and menacing, and quickly shakes her head, “Hell no.”

Brittany chuckles, “I’ll go in with you.”

“No, I don’t want to put you through that,” Santana assures her, “I can just borrow some of your stuff, right?”

Brittany’s smile grows, “Totally.”

“Okay,” Santana smiles back looking a little more relieved, “Let’s just go to yours then.”

“You got it!”

\\\

When they arrive at the Pierce Residence, they find that the porch light has been left on and Brittany can already see the glow of the hallway light emitting from the living room window.

“Now this is more like it,” Santana chuckles at the brightly lit home.

Brittany only giggles along with her as she parks the car and leads the way inside. Everything’s quiet as Brittany and Santana tip toe upstairs; Pete’s long since gone to bed and Whitney is probably not too far behind.

Santana just wordlessly follows Brittany until they get to Brittany’s bedroom. Once the light comes on, Brittany’s quick to tidy the clothes hanging out of her laundry basket before pushing in her desk chair and kicking her bookbag to the side.

“Sorry it’s a little messy,” Brittany says softly while scratching the back of her neck.

Santana only smiles as she looks around, “Your room is way cleaner than mine.”

Brittany feels a little relieved but she still rearranges some things before turning to close the door. She hesitates though as she gets to the knob, remembering the conversation she had with her mom earlier, and turns to face Santana.

“My mom said I have to leave the door open,” Brittany whispers to Santana, “But if I don’t close it then Pete might wake us up super early.”

Santana looks a little shy as she nods and it makes Brittany falter. She’s not sure what that look means and it makes something flutter in her chest. She would totally risk getting lectured by her mom later if it meant sleeping in a little later than usual, especially if Santana will be there.

But, she also wants to make sure Santana is comfortable as well. Sleeping over after their first date isn’t really how Brittany pictured this night turning out, so she just wants to be extra sure that Santana’s okay and that they’re not moving faster than she liked. 

“I can leave it open if you want though?” Brittany suggests lightly, “Whatever makes you comfortable.”

Santana tugs her bottom lip between her teeth then lets it go as she answers, “I usually sleep with my door closed at home.”

Brittany’s smile grows playful, “To keep the monsters out so they don’t get ya?”

Santana only rolls her eyes at the teasing tone, “No.”

“Sure,” Brittany winks as she goes to close the door.

“I don’t want you to get in trouble though,” Santana says, “If your mom said – “

“It’s okay,” Brittany assures her with a smile, “So long as you stay on your side of the bed.”

Santana smirks, “I’ll try my best but I won’t make any promises.”

Brittany quirks her brow, “You don’t strike me as the cuddling type.”

“I’m just full of surprises.”

Brittany chuckles before going off to find Santana some pajamas to borrow.

\\\

Brittany doesn’t know why, but suddenly she wishes her pajama drawer was filled with something better than old shirts from sports teams she used to play for and shorts with random designs on them. She doesn’t know what Santana wears to bed, but she imagines something fancy that actually comes in a set or maybe something silky and expensive?

Brittany doesn’t own anything remotely close to that.

She knows she’s overthinking this now, it’s only pajamas after all, and tries to push away the nerves. Ultimately, she settles for her favorite sleep shirt and shorts because they feel the nicest and she secretly thinks Santana would look super cute in shorts with little rubber ducks on them.

“Sorry they’re not matching,” Brittany finds herself saying as she hands them over.

Santana gives her a confused smile, “That’s okay. It’s very _you_.”

Brittany tilts her head to the side, unsure of how to take that.

“I mean that in a good way,” Santana explains, “You have a signature style, it’s cute.”

Brittany ducks her head bashfully before turning to find something for herself to wear.

\\\

The realization that Santana is going to be sleeping over in her bed with it just being the two of them starts to settle in. She’s had sleepovers with her friends before, but not like this – not with someone she’s dating – and Brittany starts to feel a mix of anxious and giddy.

Does she change into her pajamas right here or should she excuse herself to the bathroom? She remembers how Santana reacted the first time she took her top off in the locker room, but she also remembers how they were barely wearing anything when they showered together.

Brittany’s at a loss and she doesn’t realize she’s just standing there holding a pile of clothes until Santana quietly clears her throat. When Brittany turns, she’s finds that Santana has already changed and is looking as cute and comfy as ever.

“Do you have a spare toothbrush and maybe some make up wipes I could use?” Santana asks and there’s just a slight edge to her voice that lets Brittany know she isn’t the only one that’s a little nervous about this arrangement.

“Oh yeah, sorry. I’m not being a very good host.”

“You’re a great host,” Santana assures her with a smile then gestures to her bottoms, “I think I rock the hell out of these shorts. Don’t you think?”

Brittany chuckles as she nods, “I had a feeling rubber ducks would suit you.”

Santana does a little sway of her hips and it’s enough to ease Brittany’s nerves for the moment.

“I’ll get you a toothbrush and stuff,” Brittany replies and turns towards the bathroom she and Pete share.

Santana follows behind and stops next to Brittany at the bathroom sink while Brittany sorts through the top cabinet for a spare toothbrush and her make up remover.

“This okay?” She asks as she hands them over to Santana.

“Yeah.”

“Okay cool,” Brittany hesitates in the bathroom doorway wondering if she should stay and do her nightly routine too before realizing that she hasn’t even changed clothes yet.

“I’ll just go change,” She tells Santana, “I’ll be back.”

Santana only smiles at her through the mirror before lining the bristles of her toothbrush with toothpaste.

\\\

Once they finish up in the bathroom, Brittany and Santana wander back into the bedroom. They do this awkward little dance of putting away their clothes and getting ready for bed. Brittany has her mattress pushed into the corner of her room and quickly rids her bed of the stuffed animals and extra pillows she usually sleeps with in order to make some room for Santana.

“Is there a certain side you prefer?” She asks and Santana shakes her head, “Okay. Well, I’ll take the wall side incase you need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night or something.”

“Okay,” Santana nods before Brittany’s crawling in under the covers. Santana isn’t that far behind her and they quietly get settled.

There’s a weird tension in the air and Brittany’s not quite sure what to do about it. She only stares up at the ceiling with her hands folded atop her stomach over the blankets. Her mind is moving through thought after thought at a mile a minute and she just hopes that it settles down soon so she can get a little sleep.

But, with Santana lying so close to her it makes it difficult to calm down. When she glances to her side, she finds Santana’s dark brown eyes staring back curiously.

“Do I make you nervous?” Santana asks and there’s this rasp to her tone that Brittany isn’t used to.

Brittany’s words get caught somewhere so that should be enough to answer that. Instead, she just nods as a blush blooms.

“In a good way?” Santana asks.

Brittany nods again, a shy smile gracing her lips.

“You make me nervous in a good way too.”

Brittany feels her heart skip a couple beats and she can’t help but roll onto her side so that she can face Santana fully. Her face is bare of any make up, her eyelids look heavy with sleep and if there was one word Brittany could use to describe how she looks right now it’s content.

It has her reaching up to trace the side of Santana’s cheek, as if to make sure that this is really happening – that Santana’s really here in _her_ bed resting her pretty little head on _her_ pillow. The smile that forms on Santana’s face from the touch melts Brittany and she can’t help but lean in to kiss soft lips.

It’s languid and sweet, the best kind of _almost_ goodnight. When they pull apart a moment later, Brittany moves the hand that was cupping Santana’s cheek down to rest on her waist instead. Santana’s got her hand tucked under her pillow while the other plays with the hem of Brittany’s t-shirt. Brittany feels oddly comfortable now as they lie there despite feeling so wound up earlier.

Now, her eyelids feel heavy and she’s sure a yawn is not too far away. For now though, she’s content with just watching Santana’s lashes flutter and the way dark brown eyes shift back and forth from her gaze to her lips. It makes Brittany want to pull Santana in closer just so she can kiss her again and again.

“I had a lot of fun with you on our date,” Brittany admits instead.

“Me too,” Santana replies before she starts to smirk, “Even if you roped me into watching a scary movie.”

Brittany bites her lip to keep from giggling at the sarcasm, “Well, if I picked something else you wouldn’t be here right now.”

“Funny how that worked out,” Santana grins as she gives a little tug to Brittany’s shirt, “Almost like you planned it.”

Brittany leans into it, letting Santana drag her in so that their chests are nearly flush.

Only their knees knock together and before Brittany knows it, Santana’s slipping her thigh between Brittany’s while her hand curls around the blonde’s waist. They’re completely wrapped up in each other now and Brittany’s never felt so comfortable sleeping with another person before.

“So much for staying on your side,” Brittany jokes.

“I can move?” Santana teases right back.

“No, no. You stay.”

It’s kind of the worst thing ever when she remembers that they probably can’t do this all the time. But still, she soaks it in regardless – memorizing the feel of Santana’s smooth legs against her own, the way Santana’s hands caress the exposed skin just above her sleep shorts, how the tip of Santana’s little nose bumps her own every so often as she inhales.

“I wish we could do this all the time,” Brittany mumbles dreamily without thinking.

Santana gives her a confused grin, “What?”

“This,” Brittany says as she runs her fingers down Santana’s back, “It’s nice. We don’t really get to do it often, we never have the time.”

“Yeah,” Santana sighs before kissing the tip of Brittany’s nose, “Maybe you and I should try to make time.”

Brittany starts to smile. She remembers a conversation similar to this from a past relationship and how the other person wasn’t too willing to try and make changes which ended up being the main reason for the breakup. Brittany couldn’t understand how someone wouldn’t be willing to try, but it’s so satisfying to see that it’s something she doesn’t have to worry about with Santana.

She remembers her other relationships and how much it sucked to go through a breakup, but she moved on eventually because her feelings for them weren’t ever super strong – not compared to how she feels about Santana anyway.

Santana’s like a cold glass of Dr. Pepper on a hot sunny day. No, Santana’s like three scoops of ice cream when you only asked for two. No, Santana’s like taking a bubble bath with extra bubbles after football practice in the pouring rain.

The way Brittany feels about her, it’s nothing she’s ever experienced before. No one she has ever dated – boy or girl – can even compare. Santana’s one of a kind and maybe, just maybe, Brittany thinks she might know why.

She’s never experienced it for herself before, but she knows what real love looks like.

Maybe that might be this?

“What are you smiling for?” Santana asks, but she sounds surprisingly more sleepy than before and it makes Brittany’s heart swell.

“Just thinking about somethin’.”

“Like?”

Brittany only shakes her head as she slides her hand up and down Santana’s back again, almost like she’s lulling the girl to sleep. It seems to work as she watches Santana’s eyes close for longer periods of time, her breathing becoming slow and even. When Santana’s eyes open once more, she looks to Brittany for an answer as if she didn’t just fall into a micro-sleep and it makes the blonde chuckle quietly.

“I’ll tell you when I know for sure,” Brittany replies.

Santana pouts at Brittany’s cryptic words, “Know what?”

Brittany sighs but it’s full of adoration, “Don’t worry. Just go to sleep, baby.”

She almost doesn’t notice how easily the term of endearment falls from her lips, she wouldn’t have noticed at all if Santana’s eyes did slowly open in wonder.

Brittany feels a little shy about the slip up, but she can’t find it in her to say it was an accident because it really wasn’t. She has felt the word bubbling up inside of her, begging to slip out for awhile now, especially when they’re like this – when the rest of this town is fast asleep and it seems like they’re the only ones left awake in Lima.

“Did you just…” Santana stammers.

Brittany is uncertain about her tone, “Is that okay?”

Santana ponders a moment, “I usually hate it when guys call me that. It always made me feel gross.”

Brittany’s face falls. She feels absolutely mortified, “Oh.”

“But it’s different with you,” Santana assures her with a smile, “It doesn’t make me feel gross, it makes me feel… special. I like it.”

“I like _you_ ,” Brittany says without missing a beat.

Santana blushes as she adjusts her head against the pillow, “Ditto.”

Brittany can only give Santana her famous mega-watt smile in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Apologies for the wait, finding the time to write isn't as easy as it used to be and the struggle was extra real with this chapter. Hopefully the fluff made up for it though! LOL

**Author's Note:**

> A/N - If you've been following me on Tumblr, you'll know that I've been wanting to do a QB!Britt verse for awhile now so I thought I should get this going while it's still football season (and while my Steelers are still undefeated!) Most of my knowledge of HS football comes from my experience in high school so don't get weird if I make a mistake LOL.


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